Grimm Choices
by alno1935
Summary: Jaune only wanted to stop others from suffering like he had, he had no way of knowing how life had a way of kicking you in the teeth. Between the Whitefang trying to kill him and Salem trying to kill.. well, everything, maybe having a sentient Virus-like Grimm watch his back wasn't such a bad thing.(M for violence. inspiration from whitesheep, prototype, RWBY ect...)
1. Chapter 1

**Just a warning, a bit graphically described gore depending on what you call graphic. This is meant to be a story exploring what would happen if Jaune had a "bit" of a darker backstory. This first chapter and probably a few more will be set before beacon as a backstory but it wont be long until i get to beacon.**

Chapter 1

"Slow down Jaune, you'll choke if you're not careful." His mother's soft melodic voice warned with a chuckle. Jaune made a point to chew his current mouthful another two times before swallowing. He always tried to listen to his mom, she knew everything after all!

"Sorry mom, I just need to hurry if I wanna catch up with the everyone." He smiled brightly, showing the excitement he felt. And why shouldn't he be excited? It had been a month since he and his sisters last saw their dad! "I just wish you guys woke me up sooner, even Willow was up before me!" He couldn't believe his five year old sister woke up before him, he was two years older after all.

"Well none of your sisters stayed up past midnight playing on their scroll." She explained with a smirk, making him blush. Of course she caught him, she knew everything after all…

To his relief she only let out a soft chuckle. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble this time. we can still make it if we hurry" she added and he beamed another smile before putting his dirty dishes away. They were out of the house a few seconds later, headed towards the only railway in their small frontier tow of Ansel.

Jaune thought the Schnee's were really nice to let his father take one of their cargo trains home; it would have taken another two days otherwise. "Do you think dad brought souvenirs from Atlas?" Jaune asked, he remembered the Schnee dust company was supposed to be in Atlas.

"Oh honey, The SDC isn't only in Atlas. Your father was helping a branch in Vale." She explained "Atlas is much farther from our home here in Ansel; he would have had to take a Bullhead to get home from Atlas." Jaune always liked how his mother explained things; it didn't make him feel stupid for not knowing, like his teachers always did.

"Hey look, big brother's here!" His little sisters voice drew Jaune and his mother's attention to the entrance of the small train station. At the doorway Jaune could see two of his sisters, Willow and Ivy, waiting with large smiles on their faces. They were just as excited to see their dad as he was.

"Took you guys long enough, the others are waiting by the tracks" Ivy spoke quietly, motioning past the entrance into the large, concrete building.

"We didn't miss the train right?" Jaune asked as Willow rushed over to wrap their mom and him in a tight hug, her excitement making it seem like she was almost vibrating. "Nope! But you gotta hurry; it supposed to be here already!" he admitted his opinion was bias, but the smile she flashed could have outshined the sun.

Jaune laughed as his little sister dragged him along to where his other sisters were waiting. None of them seemed to notice their arrival at first, making Jaune giggle quietly. They were absorbed in a heated debate that he didn't quite understand. He heard something about dad racing a pack of Beowolves but that couldn't have been right, dad said Beowolves could outrun almost anyone.

Idly Jaune thought about how empty the station was, besides his family there was only one other person dressed in jeans and a hoodie that looked way too big for him. _Huh? didn't mom say dad was the only one coming? I wonder what that guy is doing here?_ Jaune shrugged to himself, it was probably just an employee on break or something. besides, he had more important things to worry about.

Ivy suddenly pointed down the tracks where said "important things" were quickly getting closer. "Look! It's almost here!" Even as she yelled the sound of the approaching train drowned out her voice, along with any other noises.

He waited next to his sisters and mom, his smile getting bigger as the train came to a full stop and let out a hiss of steam. The doors opened slowly to reveal the blonde hair and blued eyed Arc, the family sword, Crocea Mors, sat comfortable at his hip and a large smile on the mans face.

"Did ya little runts miss m-whoa!" Jaune chuckled at the familiar sight of his mom jumping into his dad's arms. she always reacted the same when they saw their father, planting a tender kiss on his lips.

"We missed you, Jack" she said lovingly and a second later Jaune and his sisters crowded into the train car, unable to contain themselves any longer they all started talking at once. Questions ranging from what he had to do for Atlas to how the weather was where he stayed. Jaune giggled to himself again, finding more than a little comfort in the familiar chaos of his father victorious return.

"Careful guys" his dad said, his tone only half serious "There's enough dust here to send us all to Atlas." He chuckled, drawing Jaune's attention to all the containers of dust surrounding them, all with the Schnee's trademark snowflake on every one of them and a man standing in front of them.

 _Wait when did he get there?_. Jaune thoughts worked slowly.

 _the man from before…?_

"Hey buddy you aren't supposed t- JANE THE KIDS!" Jaune had never heard his father yell so loudly nor had he ever thought his father would tackle him and his little sister to the ground with such force. Despite the shock Jaune heard the hooded figures words with perfect clarity.

"For the White-Fang" _Who were-?_ his thoughts were suddenly caught off by a searing pain

He never knew how loud an explosion could be against his ears, or how hot fire could feel against his skin. For the first time in his young life, Darkness forcibly claimed his mind.

\\-/

"For it is in life that we achieve happiness. Through this we become an unyielding defense against the darkness. unrelenting in strength and untouched by death, I release your soul, and by my honor, I protect thee."

Jaune woke to his father's voice, weakened and hoarse but undeniable. following his words a bolt of energy brought Jaune from his stupor. His eyes snapped open suddenly and his lungs screamed for air only to receive more smoke. He started coughing heavily, his lungs taking in what little oxygen they could while he struggled to keep his eyes open through the burning. What happened to him? Where were his sisters? His father? Why did everything hurt? Wait. Were those voices?

"Adam do you hear that! Someone's alive!" He heard a female voice call out, she didn't sound much older himself. What was she doing here? Was it her fault everything was burning? She sounded surprised anyone was alive… Was that good or bad?

"We have to leave Blake!" He guessed the boy's voice he heard was the "Adam" the girl mentioned, his voice made him sound older than her but not by much.

Jaune couldn't believe what he heard him say, they were going to leave him. _Why would they just leave me?_ he couldn't understand, they had to know he was hurt, weren't you supposed to help people who were hurt…?

"T-this wasn't supposed to happen like this… some of them were even younger than me…" Blake's voice sounded like it was coming closer and Jaune struggled to try and move towards it only for his hand to land on something next to him, something thoroughly charred by the flames around him. A whimper escaped him as he realized what his hand was resting on.

He looked at the body, unable to comprehend why his dad wasn't moving… or where his skin went. "D-dad…?" His voice was hoarse and barely above a whisper from the smoke while tears started falling from his eyes. "Please… get up…" He felt something well up inside him, something cold that made his body shake uncontrollably. Fear like none he'd ever felt before gripped his heart as tears streamed down his face.

 _what about the others?_ he thought suddenly and looked up and around, quickly regretting his decision. A loud sob broke from his mouth just before his breakfast escape him. He saw arms and legs but no torso, hands without fingers. A severed head with a pain expression forever burned on its face… he couldn't even tell who it was, it lacked hair and the skin looked like it was melted. This couldn't be happening… This was not happening!

He curled up, putting his head into his knees, unable to look any longer. how could this be happening…? It didn't make any sense!

Then, suddenly, he felt a tingling sensation start spreading across his skin. what was happening? _this feels… almost like mum and dad…_ he felt like it cooled the fire that licked at him and started numbing the pain his bruises, scratches and burns brought. He didn't think to hard about what happened, choosing to ignore his own questions and clinging to the safe feeling it brought.

"There wasn't supposed to be anyone here Adam! Why didn't he call this off when he saw them?!" Blake yelled and Jaune failed to respond again, to absorbed with trying to hide himself in his knees. It sounded like they were involved in this and part of him thought she even sounded guilty.

"I can understand wanting revenge but this… This is murder!" Her voice sounded thick as if she was holding back tears. Jaune summoned his courage and tried to call out again only to end up coughing more, his throat hurt beyond belief.

 _Please! I'm right here!_ he wanted to shout at them. _Don't leave me!_

"I know! But we have no choice now; we need to leave before the SDC get here!" Adam's voice held little regret and Jaune heard nothing at first from the other girl, until the sound of footsteps running away reached his ear.

They were leaving him he realized numbly. They caused the deaths of his entire family and they were just… leaving. Why wasn't anyone stopping them!? Why couldn't he stop them...?

He didn't know how long he sat there surrounded by pieces of debris and flesh alike with his aura wrapped around him like a blanket, keeping the flames and smoke at bay. The sound of a Bullhead landing nearby brought him out of his daze. A moment later a group men dressed in what looked like military attire with the Schnee logo clearly visible on their arms rushed into the building with rifles held high.

Two of them rushed to the boy, their weapons pointed at him but they said nothing, as if waiting for something. Jaune flinched at the weapons but couldn't do anything but let a fresh wave of tears fall.

"Lower your weapons, the perpetrators are gone." Jaune looked up at the voice and found an older man with pure white hair and bright blue eyes staring down at him. "Tell me child, do you wish to see those who caused this dead?" the man didn't bother with greetings and Jaune found he was caught off guard by the blunt question.

Did he want revenge? The people who ran off made this sound like an accident but did that matter…? He would never see his parents or sisters ever again because of them! He felt new tears stream down his face as his throat tightened. He never knew how much his chest could hurt, like his heart was being crushed. What should he do? What would his dad do?

He didn't know exactly but he found himself nodding to the older man. "I-I… I want to be stronger!" his throat was raw but he held the man's intense gaze. His Dad always said he needed to be strong, to protect those you loved. He stood up, his body shaking like a leaf, and continued to stare at the white haired man, willing him to see his determination.

"Please. Make me strong!" He refused to let his voice break even as his legs struggled to hold himself up. "Strong enough to stop this!" The man grinned at Jaune's words.

"Very well then, follow me." the man turned and walked out of the building without looking back, Jaune had to run to catch up, stumbling several times and limping heavily, he refused to let his eyes wander. He didn't think he could take seeing his family in various states of mutilation and charred to the bone like his father.

 **I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my first RWBY fanfiction please tell me what you think, I really like to know what people think of my amateur work so i can hopefully improve. I have a few more chapters already written and just needing final re-reading (this is something i started and was always kind of unsure about so i stopped but here we are) so it wont be too long before another chapter is up.**

 ** _Alno_**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, feel free to suggest and point out mistakes in the reviews. authors note below. enjoy chapter 2!**

Chapter 2

Two days later

Jacques Schnee sat behind a large, pure white desk, his head of research sat just on the other side, clutching papers to his chest. The room held little in the way of decoration and had only one large window behind the head of the Schnee dust company.

"Thank you for accepting my request Mr. Schnee, I assure you this is a matter of the utmost importance" The researcher known as Franklin couldn't keep the excitement from his voice as he stood from his seat and gave Jacques a sheet from his stack.

"It had better be, the White-Fang are getting bold. This recent bombing has many on edge." Jacques spoke up after taking a glance at the files in front of him. He knew one of his "in-house" projects was on the verge of a breakthrough, it was simply a matter counting the days.

Project "Grimm Guardian" was the name of a small group of researchers in his personal lab assigned the task of turning the Grimm into a source of cheap, effective security for his mines. At best Jacques was hoping for an elite strike team that could deploy in even the worst of Grimm infestations but he would settle for some bloodhounds if need be.

"Indeed sir! I believe we are finally on the verge of success!" Franklin flipped through the papers in his hands as if he was incapable of standing still. "It has been some years since you gave us orders to weaponize the Grimm but only recently has it begun bearing fruit." The scientists grin showed no trace of deception.

Jacques kept his face blank of emotions even as his hopes began to rise. "Oh? Did you finally learn how to train us some new attack dogs?" he let doubt creep into his voice but the doctor just shook his head.

"No sir, we have actually found success in a smaller form of Grimm native only to the Grimm-Lands." Franklin flipped the files on Jacques' desk until it was at a image of what looked like black orb with bone white spikes protruding from all sides.

"This is what we believe to be a virus-like Grimm and it is the only known form of Grimm to attack at a cellular level. After injecting a small dose into one of our feline lab animals it experienced a violent transformation." The doctor's voice started to sound a bit like one of their robots.

"Its hair and flesh turned pure white while its veins turned noticeably black. The eyes changed as well, The pupil and sclera turning black with its iris turning bright red." The man turned the page to a picture of a snow white cat with blood red eyes.

"We were forced to put down the subject when it went into a fit of rage, demonstrating vast increases in strength, speed and durability. It took three minutes of continuous flames to terminate the subject." Jacques looked at the final picture of a pile of ashes and a frown appeared on his face.

"Tell me why this is good news exactly? We can't exactly use this to protect our mines if it'll go crazy and attack the workers." His voice was stern but the lack of fear on Franklin's face was an encouraging sign.

"Evidence shows the subject only lost its mind because it lacked any means to resist the Grimm's instincts. We believe if we had a… higher grade subject… than it would most likely succeed." Franklin didn't need to elaborate on what "higher grade" meant.

Jacques had expected something like this to happen; after all he acquired that Arc child in anticipation of such an occasion. "Don't worry about the subject, I have come prepared but tell me." Jacques pulled the picture of the virus itself out of the files.

"How did we acquire this "viral-Grimm"? I don't remember any of the teams we sent to the Grimm-lands coming back alive." He was skeptical of this "virus" that seemingly turned animals into Grimm. "Are we sure it's even a virus?"

Franklin shifted, his excitement wearing off some. "Well… not exactly, you see we're not entirely sure what it is or where it came from. It was inside a corpse we retrieved from the outskirts of the Grimm-lands but the corpse itself was in an advance state of decomposition preventing us from learning anything more." He quickly moves on, not wanting to dwell too heavily on the negatives.

"We know it gives its host the appearance and physical abilities of Grimm but it does not actually turn the host into a Creature of Grimm. The host retains its aura even after transforming! Imagine a hunter with the strength of an Ursa Major, the Speed of a Beowolf and the stamina and endurance of a Boarbatusk!" His previous excitement had returned as he changed the subject but Jacques couldn't blame the man.

The possibilities swam around in Jacques' head; he pictured an army of these hunter-Grimm hybrids protecting his mines, his dust, and his family. "Yes…" He let a smile slip to his lips. "Those mongrels in the White-fang are getting more aggressive, perhaps it's time we did as well… very well; you have my permission to begin testing on the child I will provide you. Begin preparations immediately."

Franklin bowed his head with a smile and rushed out of the room, eager to begin. Jacques was about to stand to leave when he saw a flash of white at the doorway. "What are you doing here Weiss? You know not to disturb me when I'm working" He looked down at his nine-year old daughter, a part of him remarked that the Arc child was probably around the same age if a bit younger.

"Sorry father… I-I just thought I heard crying in the library again." he let out a sigh at his child's fearful words. That's close to where he left the Arc child to mourn, it was good thing he wouldn't be there much longer "Don't worry Weiss, it's just your imagination. Now run along, I have work that needs doing." Weiss looked doubtful but knew better than to disagree with her father.

\\-/

Late that night

Jaune flinched as he lay on top of an operating table, the cold metal made him shiver but not as much as the growing sense of unease. "Don't worry Jaune" Mr. Schnee's voice came from a nearby speaker, his person stood behind a thick pane of glass. "This will make you strong, stronger than any hunter before you." Jaune only nodded, his eyes wide and nervous. He didn't know what was going on but he had to trust Mr. Schnee.

He spent the last two days inside a small room with nothing but a bed and his thoughts of his mother, his father and his many sisters. He had no idea how long had passed, his sense of time warped from the constant grief plaguing his mind. Until Mr. Schnee came into the room saying he was going to make good on his promise. He was going to make Jaune strong.

"Restraining. Subject." A robotic voice echoed through the room a moment before metal restraints wrapped around his wrists and ankles. He felt his heart pounding in his chest as fear gripped his heart. What was he doing here? This isn't what he wanted! He wanted to go home! He wanted to get away from all these machines! He wanted… his parents… his sisters…

"Do… Do it." his voice broke only slightly, he was trying his best not to think about what the machines surrounding him would do. He told himself it didn't matter how much it would hurt, that if he could be strong like his father maybe… maybe he wouldn't feel so defenseless… maybe he wouldn't feel so utterly useless.

Jacques pressed a button on his side of the glass and a robotic limb with a thin needle at its end reached down from the ceiling and approached Jaune's arm slowly. "Commencing. Injection."

Why did it have to warn him it was coming? He didn't think that was entirely called for but his thoughts were halted a second later by the mechanical arm jerking suddenly. He yelped as the needle sank into the soft flesh of his arm, the reinforced steel punching clean through what little aura he had.

Burning Agony suddenly gripped his arm and he let out a screech that would put Willow to shame. The liquid fire that burned through his arm began moving steadily towards his heart, tearing screams of pain from the poor boy all the while.

As it touched his heart the pain stopped just as suddenly as it started. He gasped for air during the respite "i-is it ov-" He was cut off by a violent spasm, causing him to bite his tongue with a sickening crunch and break bones in his wrist and ankle. The liquid fire shot straight from his heart up his spine to his brain.

"Oh gods please make it stop! Makeit stop pleasestop pleasestop…" he took a ragged breath "its burning meee!" he dragged the word out, coughing up blood as black as Grimm.

Then it was over.

He lay there, trembling and gasping for air, when something warm grasped his heart, spine and mind. The places that were burning moments earlier now felt… good.

 **Hello Jaune. I'm sorry about all that but you know what dad used to say.** A deep, almost animal-like voice echoed between his ears. **Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. right?**

\\-/

Moments earlier

Jacques and Franklin watched as the boy squirmed as if to get away from his own arm, neither particularly surprised that the injection caused more pain than first predicted. Jacques looked between the glass window and the screen showing a clearer video that sat between the pair. Franklin toyed with the interface just below and camera zoomed in on the boys arm.

"Subject appears to be experiencing intense pain at the injection sight." Franklin spoke into a microphone attached to his coat collar, recording his voice over the video feed that was focused on the boy's arm. "There appears to be a noticeable darkening of skin around the injection sight."

Franklin was obsessed with recording any serious endeavors in hopes of minimizing what one might miss after the initial viewing. Jacques found it mildly annoying but didn't push the matter so long as it offered something useful to the company.

The boy's skin color was paling rapidly but oddly enough he stopped squirming. "Subject has paled significantly; it's unclear if this is caused by blood loss of some kind or the loss of pigment. Subject is attempting to speak, adjusting volume." Franklin touched the interface again.

"I-is it ov-" the screen next to the glass gave the pair a top-down view of Jaune's violent seizure. Neither flinched when they heard his bones crack loudly, it wasn't the first time experiments caused harm to themselves and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

"Subject's veins are visibly darkening and has most likely fractured small bones in both his wrist and ankles. further study will show if he gains the Grimm's ability to regenerate." Franklin sounded hopeful. "Jacques look at its eyes!" Franklin almost hissed as he focused the screen on Jaune's paled face, neither of them paid any attention to the boys rambling about stopping.

"Just like the test animals the subject's irises are turning red and the sclera are darkening to a pitch black. Notice the veins around its face and eyes are now noticeably black and its hair now a snow white. This transformation matches the animal subjects perfectly, this is a good sign!"

Jacques had to agree with Franklin's assessment; If he ended up as something different they would have a lot more test to run. Jaune seemed conscious but barely so. His eyes widened suddenly, staring at nothing his mouth opened and Franklin turned up the volume again.

" **Who… are you…?"** his voice sent a chill down Jacques spine, but he squashed the feeling immediately. "Who is he talking to? No one else is in that room." Jacques kept the fear from his voice through sheer willpower but Franklin had more trouble.

"I-I don't know sir… maybe the Grimm?" The man gave an involuntary shudder at the thought of a sapient Grimm. He turned back to the screen and touched the microphone on his lab-coat as if to make sure it was still there "s-subject has experienced deep vocal changes and may be experiencing hallucinations. Further study is required to understand the extent of the subject's transformation."

 **hey everyone, just wanted to make something clear, I have not watch much past the fall of beacon and I have only just started rewatching it again. As such i apologize in advance for any mistakes i make with the lore, but i plan on playing it a bit loose anyway (though only if it makes sense and can be consistent). to be honest i plan on letting the story go wherever makes sense while using the show as guidelines. **

**I also wanna let everyone know some inspiration is in fact from white sheep by Coeur Al'Aran, love that story. that being said i wouldn't say I'll be copying it, i got inspiration from white sheep as much as i have from prototype (love them mechanics), and rwby itself. thanks for reading and have a good day/night.**

 **Alno**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello Readers, bit of news; Updates may slow some with school picking up but I plan on having up at least once a week at minimum. Hope you enjoy the third chapter of Grimm choices.**

Chapter 3

 _Fire everywhere, the smell of charred flesh thick in his nose._

 _The cold fear gripped him even as the fire burned_ _him._

 _He wanted to cry out for his parents but smoked clogged his airway._

" _For the White-Fang" The voice spoke again and again._

 _He was afraid; the words sent chills up his spine._

 _His father gripped him weakly, ignoring the pain to help his son._

" _We love you Jaune… Be strong." He spoke despite the fire burning him._

Jaune's eyes snapped open and he began coughing heavily, trying to expel the smoke from his lungs. It took him a few moments to realize there was no smoke. He found himself lying in a small bed pushed into the corner of a white, metallic room. The wall he was facing had a large black window he couldn't see through. A door lacking any handle was on the wall next to it but, besides the toilet opposite the bed, the room was completely bare.

He moved to rub his eyes only to flinch in surprise. His hands were so pale! And he could see his veins clearly? Why were they black?! " **What…?"** he was confused for only a second before a familiar feeling gripped his stomach. What was happening to him? His memories were fuzzy at best.

 **Calm down Jaune, now isn't the time to panic.** Despite the voice's advice Jaune did not calm down. he could feel something in his head, as if an insect had climbed into his ear while he slept and burrowed into his brain.

" **What? What does that even mean!? I think it's the perfect time to panic!"** Jaune yelled back into the air, shivering heavily at the blatantly creepy feeling the voice brought. Absently he remarked that his own voice sounded just like it.

" **W-what did you do to me?"** he touched his throat, then his head, his fear starting to get the better of him. his head was pounding, why couldn't he remember? he knew his name was Jaune. but the voice said that already… What was his last name…?

 **I made you strong; So much stronger than you were. Isn't that what you wanted Jaune? Don't you want to be strong enough to hunt down the White-Fang? To make them pay for what they did to you. What they did to us.** The voice said something that made his skull ache. The White-fang? They hurt him didn't they? They stole his family? No, that isn't right. they weren't taken, they were killed...

" **No! I-I don't want to hurt people…"** even to himself the words sounded unsure, hollow. he could feel anger and rage boil over at the mention of the "White-Fang" and he felt justified in wanting them gone but dead? Why did that feel so wrong? " **How do you even know about that?"** his voice came out barely above a whisper. " **I can barely remember…"**

 **I can see your memories Jaune, I can see you life as if I lived it myself, it's how I learned to speak… You humans are truly an odd type, it's almost like your parents encouraged weakness.** The voice continued as if he was talking about the weather being a bit worse than expected. **You might still be a little frail but I suppose that can be changed easily enough. At least your aura is of superior quality.**

" **My aura?what d- wait you remember?! why don't I?"** envy laced Jaunes voice, why couldn't he remember? why did his ears ring whenever he tried to remember his family? He could remember crying for countless hours because they were gone. Anything before then felt fuzzy and unclear, whenever he tried to focus on it his ears would start ringing to the point where he was sure they would explode.

 **You seem confused, I suppose this is a bit... well, confusing. I wish i could explain it better but I'm afraid I only know what you know. or knew I suppose, what were you saying about not remembering?** The voice seemed almost as muddled as Jaune felt.

Jaune let out a groan that sounded more like a growl with his changed voice. " **It's not important…"** of course it was important but it hurt so much to think about… Jaune couldn't help but feel that maybe he didn't need to remember.

" **What should I call you anyway? Do you have a name? do you know where we are?"** Jaune asked curiously, firing off questions whenever the voice hesitated to speak. Sure it seemed a bit mean but at least it was someone to talk to, something to distract him. With nothing else in the blank, white room Jaune was having a hard time keeping calm himself, this place made his stomach flip.

 **Well I was born yesterday with your memories so… You're with some guy named Jacque, he said he would make you stronger but you already remember that much. I don't know much else about what's happening now.** the words made Jaune feel a bit stupid but at least the voice didn't sound angry or sarcastic, just… confused? Jaune wasn't sure why that made him feel better.

 **Maybe you should ask the two people behind that glass, they seem pretty calm.** The voice brought Jaune's attention back again and the boy looked up at the glass suddenly.

" **I-I can't see them."** his voice quivered slightly. who was watching him? why weren't they telling him anything? questions swirled around his mind and a sick feeling twisted in his gut. Was it their fault he couldn't remember?

 **Right, you're still mostly human. here let me see if i can…** it trailed off in his head as if distracted. A tingling sensation spreading in his ears almost made him giggle with how it tickled but it was gone a moment later. **That was easy… I wonder what else I can do up here..?**

He was about to ask what it was talking about when a new voice drew his attention. "-our presence, possibly due to the Grimm's uncanny ability to sense humans. I believe this is evidence tha-"

The man was cut off by something." He's reacting to us… Can you hear me Jaune?" A second voice made itself known and Jaune nodded slightly, staring wide eyed at the glass. He didn't understand how he could suddenly hear them through the glass or why they were behind the window to begin with.

" **Who are you?"** Jaune asked steadily, a sudden calm coming over himself. He couldn't understand what was happening. his heart was hammering away a second ago, why did it stop suddenly? **It appears I have a bit more influence than I first thought.** the voice sounded pleased with itself. **I can slow your heart and keep you calm, I imagine it's a limited effect but could be useful.**

" **huh…?"** Jaune said intelligently, what did it mean "influence"? wasn't that control? could it control him? **Don't let it bother you Jaune, you'll know if I do anything. I believe that man is trying to get your attention though.** Oh ya, he should probably pay a bit more attention.

"-could hear me a moment ago, why is he refusing to respond?" The man sounded confused which was understandable, Jaune thought, considering he probably couldn't hear the voice in Jaune's head.

" **Sorry, I was a little distracted."** He sounded so much older, it almost made him giddy to sound so old but the feeling was quickly squashed and replaced with a quiet peace. He wasn't sure how he felt about something controlling his emotions but he at least it kept him from being too scared to speak.

" **Where am I?"** he was nervous again, what if he asked the wrong question and angered him? And again the feeling was torn away. The question made sense, he had every right to know where he was.

\\-/

Even Jacques Schnee, head of the SDC and the Schnee family, couldn't hide his shock and stared slack jawed at the boy. Jaune's question was simple enough but that wasn't what blindsided both men. Only a blind man would miss how Jaune's expression would rapidly change, as if something was trying to block out his emotions. One moment he would start to smile then it would suddenly disappear, replaced with a neutral, almost surreal calm. His deep voice only further disturbed the already tainted scene.

Jacques cleared his throat, reining in the unease he felt, hoping the Grimm inside wouldn't sense it. "You are in my home" A vague answer was always good "I brought you here to make you strong, just like you asked." He couldn't have the blame fall on him in case the child lost control, the glass would protect them but he didn't get to where he was relying on a single plan.

"Do you remember?" He asked cautiously and for a moment the boy frowned, looking like he might cry out but that expression fell away just like the others.

" **I don't. What did you put inside me?"** to Jacques' surprise Jaune didn't sound angry or upset, just curious. interesting.

Jacques turned to Franklin but the man seemed unwilling to speak while his subject could hear him, was he afraid? Neither of them were strangers to what human experimentation could create but all their research pointed to the same thing. Grimm did not have true sentience, they could be intelligent sure, but in the end they were driven wholly by instinct.

But this, this was solid evidence of an unknown form of Grimm actively controlling a human child. Was it possible that the Grimm has taken full control of the boy? if that were the case than the sudden changes in expression and presumably emotion are signs of the boy resisting. That was only if the Grimm was in control, a fact Jacques was unsure how to prove.

"It was a special type of chemical meant to bond with you, it was meant to make you stronger." A simple story, one close enough to the truth. "Are you stronger?" A question for a question seemed fair, considering he was telling the boy nothing of any real substance.

Jaune looked thoughtful, staring off into nothing before suddenly raising his hand and looking at it with a curious expression that didn't fade like before. Jacques stared in silence, willing himself not to react when a bone white liquid began pooling in Jaunes uplifted hand. slowly at first, the liquid spread and eventually covered the boys entire arm.

" **Hmm…"** Jaune hummed thoughtfully " **I don't know… maybe sharp?"** He mumbled and the bone like liquid immediately sharpened at the tips of the boys fingers. Jacques, much as he would deny it, nearly jumped when Franklin stumbled off his seat, his features looked to be paling by the second. Franklin never had a subject unnerve him to this extent but he couldn't stop, the subject had a weapon of unknown strength they didn't predict. The risk of a security breach was clearly rising out of control.

Jacques scowled at the frightened researcher before turning his attention back to the boy. He nearly followed Franklin's example when he saw the child's hands pressed against the glass while he sniffed at it gingerly. " **I smell something…"** He paused, a guttural growl escaping his throat " **good…"** Jacques reacted immediately, grabbing the man roughly by the arm and dragging him towards the exit. Upon the door opening he all but threw the man out of the observation room. "Don't come back until you can get ahold of yourself." Jacques voice held contempt, looking down at the man as he would a whimpering child.

When he turned back around Jaune was tapping at the glass with his clawed hand, though it didn't look like he was putting any effort into it. " **Mr. Schnee. Can you let me out...?"** Despite his disgust with Franklin, and possibly even fear of Jaune, he kept his voice steady as he answered. "I don't think that is a good idea Jaune, you need to rest" and I need to get more security, Jacque thought to himself. He was no fool, but even he didn't expect the "Virus" to be this effective, he needed time to prepare, to readjust.

Jaune frowned at his statement but didn't say anything, only stepping back from the glass. A second later the bone like material covering his arm liquified again and retreated back into his palm. Silently he trudged to the bed, looking every part the grounded child, and with a dramatic sigh, he flopped into bed.

Jacque felt a sense of dejavu coming over him, Jaune looked almost like young Whitley from behind, white haired and upset when denied. though Whitley would have put up a much larger fight, maybe Weiss… he shrugged and walked out of the room, trusting the monitoring equipment to warn him if anything happened while he was busy preparing for the experiments that would need to be run. He would need to find more people to test on soon, they still had plenty of material to work with and one child does not make a very "Elite Force".

As he walked he let his mind wander around the possibilities this new creation brought. Even with the Grimm inside him, showing an obvious influence, the boy still acted like a child with seemingly no effort. He felt that was good evidence showing humans can control the viral-grimm. A full grown man might show better results, being fully matured should make it easier for the person to remain in control. He should be able to negate the effect Franklin's fear had on Jaune with some conditioning. It made sense Jaune got so riled up, Grimm were always drawn to the negativity in people.

Did that make Jaune part Grimm now or was it just living inside him? Jacques wondered if he was the first person to make a hybrid of human and Grimm. The thought almost made him laugh, if this was successful it would be another trophy to show the world. Another accomplishment for the glorious Schnee name. Perfect.

 **Thank you all for the favorites, follows and reviews, they keep me motivated like you wouldn't believe. roger9481, I plan on keeping personalities as close as possible to the real thing, excluding Jaune of course. I only hope that my idea of the people in rwby is at least somewhat accurate, I** **apologies** **if not and hope I can at least remain** **consistent** **.**

 **This chapter was a bit difficult to write as I don't have any friend's or family that enjoy's reading fanfiction. This prevented me from getting different opinions and insures I will remain my own "pre-reader" for some time. I hope you all are enjoying this and i wish you a good morning/evening.**

 **Alno**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone, this chapter was a bit difficult to write so i hope I wrote things clearly. Let me know if not please.**

Chapter 4

 **Come on Jaune, you said you wanted to be let out right?** The viral-grimm didn't waste time after Jacques had left, Its voice taking a more energetic tone. Jaune didn't blame it, despite Jacques suggestion he didn't feel even slightly tired. In fact he could quite stop fidgeting about, his own energy seemingly increasing to match the voice in his head.

" **Well..."** He hesitated, Mr. Schnee didn't sound like he wanted to let him out. " **You don't think he'll get angry?"** Jaune Asked quietly. **He said that you needed rest. now that I've regenerated your stamina, you are rested.** The voice stated matter-of-factly, reminding Jaune of Jacques exact words. " **I guess…"** He trailed off, sounding as unsure as he felt inside, he didn't want to get in trouble.

 **Would it help if I held your hand?** The grimm spoke, remembering how Jaunes mother would hold his hand when he was scared. Jaune raised an eyebrow, confused how the voice thought it could manage that.

As if in response, the white liquid from earlier started dripping from his palm to the floor at a steady pace. Unlike before, Jaune noted, There also looked to be trace amount of black goo mixing in. It took the better part of two minutes for the liquid to stop flowing and solidify in a proper shape. What stood in front of Jaune then brought a joy-filled smile to his face.

The "doll", for lack of a better word, looked exactly like him, but less than half his weight and height. The grimm even copied the black veins and eyes, though they were much more noticeable on the doll and seemed to spread further then jaune's did.

" **That is so cool! You look just like me!"** He failed to keep the excitement from his voice, a thought coming into his mind suddenly. " **We should play something! what can we play… arrg!"** Exclaimed Jaune with irritation. His memories were still so fuzzy, it frustrated him that he couldn't even remember what he used to play with his friends. Jaune pause, He had friends at some point… right?

 **Don't get ahead of yourself Jaune.** The voice responded inside Jaune's head while the doll placed a hand on his shoulder, the grimm inside slowing his heartbeat and calming his mind. It could sense unknown humans nearby and wasn't sure which, if any, were friendly, It didn't want Jaune to draw attention. **You wanted to be let out right?** Jaune gave a nod, following the doll to the door.

" **How do you think we open it?"** Jaune asked while sliding a hand over the flat surface of the door, the only sign that it was even there was the slim grooves in the wall in the shape of a rectangle.

The voice didn't respond, focusing its attention on the doll to make its fingers so flat you could lose sight of them at the wrong angle. It proceeded to slip it's fingers into the crack and started pushing its way through slowly. Jaune couldn't see what was happening but the dolls fingers had slipped clean through to the other side and were now groping around for anything that might open the door.

A minute later Jaune heard a buzz and the door slid open with a loud hissing noise. Jaune clapped his hands excitedly but the doll stopped him, placing a hand over his gently and pulling its other hand to its lips in a "shushing" gesture. **Try to be quieter Jaune, I can sense people around.** The voiced warned jaune " **But Jacque said this was his house, they must be his friends right?"** The voice didn't respond right away, unable to fault the logic he let go of Jaunes hand, letting him stick his head out of the room.

Jaune found himself at the end of a hallway, doorways like his own lined the walls, each door having one of two words on it. "Observation" was written on half of them, including the door closest to his which he assumed lead behind the glass in his room. "Danger" was written on every other door in bold black letters, assuming the pattern held, his own door would have that written on it. He also noticed an odd door closer to the start of the hall that was out of place, it didn't have a pair like the others. It was marked "Storage" and had a keypad to get in rather than a single button.

 **This looks nothing like what you used to call home.** Jaune nodded to the voice absentmindedly " **Doesn't feel very safe either…"** He muttered, slowly approaching the closest door that read danger. Next to it was a button covered by a glass cube, Jaune assumed that is what is used to open the doors. Every room had one, though only the "danger" rooms had the glass box over them, so it made sense pushing one would open the door closest.

"Whitley?" A confused voiced made Jaune whirl around, his heart in his throat while the doll jumped in front of him. Maybe it was how the pure white doll blended in so well with the white hallway but the man who spoke didn't see it right away. All he saw from his distance was pale skin, white hair and black marks on the wall.

" **Who are you?"** Jaune spoke as the man started approaching, his voice causing The man to freeze and raised a familiar looking hunk of metal in his hands. **What's in his han-** The grimm paused at the same time Jaune did and instinctively withdrew the doll back into Jaune at a rate that may have hurt, had he been able to notice anything.

" _ **That smell again..."**_ It sent shivers down their spine, neither could resist it, that sickeningly sweet smell that made the world fall away. " _ **Where..."**_ They dragged the word out, sniffing at the air.

The guard that spoke to them now stood frozen in place, that was obviously not Whitley. Even if he wasn't close enough to see the boy clearly, the voices in his headpiece made it clear what was happening and when he caught sight of the "black marks" getting sucked into the child, his finger was pressed against the trigger. The only thing keeping the man from shooting was the order to hold-fire that kept reaching his earpiece.

"L-listen kid" The man failed to sound commanding "J-just get back into your cage and I'll pretend I didn't see anything" He didn't know what Jacques was working on down here but the higher ups kept yelling in his ear to "contain" not "destroy". He figured at this point if he shot, having a job at the end of the day would be the least of his worries.

Jaune ignored the man, not being able to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. White liquid started dribbling down his arms and forming around his palms almost unconsciously. The guard took a step back and felt his trigger finger twitch when the liquid hardened into claws around the boys fingertips.

"I'm warning you! This is your last chance!" The guard yelled, hoping desperately the boy, the demon, would understand and back off.

" _ **Where is it coming from..."**_ Jaune fell to his hands and knees, looking like a bloodhound with a scent, he breathed in deeply through his nose. His eyes locked onto the man suddenly " _ **you!"**_

The sound of metal grinding echoed through the halls as Jaune's claws tore into the floor for leverage. Then he lunged, pulling himself forward with his clawed fingers, he flew at the man like a torpedo, claws outstretched, ready to rip and tear.

 **BOOM**

A gunshot tore through the air, faster than Jaune could ever hope to be, punching through his flesh and bone and planting itself firmly in his heart. The force stopped Jaune midair, causing him to land on the steel floor with a loud thud.

" _ **It hurts…"**_ The words slip from Jaune as the cold began creeping up his limbs, even in his frenzied state he could feel death coming closer. " **I-I don't... want to die."**

 **I won't let you.** There was no malice, anger or even doubt in its voice, it was only stating a fact.

\\-/

Jacques hadn't even had the chance to sit when the sensors in the Arc child's cell sent its signal, setting lights off on Jacques's desk as well as the security room, alerting the research facility of the containment breach.

Inside the security room four guards tended to the large security console, observing the rows of monitors diligently. The changed several of the screens to show the camera inside the hallway, showing one of their own attempt to convince the abomination to go back into its cell. Behind the four stood another pair, coordinating with Jacques via scroll and relaying orders to the security force spread throughout the facility.

"Don't you fools damage my property! Firing is to be a last resort, I want it alive!" Jacques yelled into his scroll while running towards the security room, he wanted to save his investment but running directly to the danger was out of the question. The boy showed no signs of rebellion and yet a minutes in captivity was all it took to attempt an escape? The grimm must want out, that was the only explanation that made any sense.

Inside the security room the order to hold-fire was received and given to the man currently speaking with the escapee. The man didn't respond, leaving them unsure if the order was received or not. It didn't matter a second later when a gunshot rang throughout the facility just as Jacques barged into the security room to witness his prize experiment put down like a rabid dog.

The men inside the room expected an explosion of anger, threats and promises of reprisal, but were surprised to see him take a breathe and exhale slowly. "Did the rooms around him get breached?" He asked, sounding more annoyed than actually angry. "Uh- no sir!" an "observer" responded after recovering his composure.

"Then we start with a new subject. At least it was only a few days of time lost." he wanted to be angry with his men but he knew the fault was his own. He underestimated the microscopic grimm and failed to prepare an adequate containment unit. "Uh sir...?" another guard spoke up motioning towards the monitors.

The same white material that made up the grimm's claws now covered the boy's chest wound, stopping any bleeding while remaining in its liquid form. It seemed to be helping Jaune if his fingers twitching and chest rising were anything to go by.

The guard standing in front of Jaune felt sweat begin building on his forehead again, he wondered if he should shoot again and risk Jacques's ire. To his relief he heard the sound of rushing boots heading towards him from up the stairs, his backup was just about there. He turned back to see the guards rushing down the stairs when a sickening squelch was heard, giving the armed assault force pause.

A needle thin tendril, white with black membranes, puncture through his chest. Without aura protecting the soft flesh the grimm's razor sharp tendril carved it's way into the meatsacks back, through the heart and out the other side. The entire security force that had been ordered to respond, starred in shock as the man was impaled by something so small.

The impaled man then heard a voice inside his head, a sick twisted voice that could make ironwood shiver. **I need your flesh. I need your blood.**

 **Do not fear, you will live on.** the man opened his mouth to scream, only silenced escaped.

 **As material for our body.** He could not scream, could not cry, couldn't even whimper. He could only succumb to the grimm.

Jacques looked upon his creation and for the first time since in years, he felt true fear as ice gripped his heart. "...Fire" Jacques looked to the pair manning communications, uncaring if they saw the fear in his eyes, for he knew they held the same in their hearts. That thing… ate that man. literally digested him in front of everyone before sipping him up like a soup. "I said fire. Tell the men to fire!".

The order was given and every soldier in the hall pointed their dust powered firearms at the growing mass of white that covered Jaune's body. The impromptu firing squad all pulled the trigger with every intention of preventing a repeat of the horror they just witnessed. The fraction of a second it took for the ammunition to ignite was just enough time for the viral-grimm to react.

Swirling into a massive ball in front of Jaune and hardening proved effective against small arms fire, blocking and deflecting the hail of bullets while preserving Jaune's aura. Two more needle thin tendrils shot out causing most of the guards to turn in an attempt to avoid the fate of their late comrade.

Most escaped unscathed but the grimm wasn't aiming for "most". Having snagged two more bodies it quickly digested them, turning them into more material to use. With the added mass the Virus made the makeshift shield grow until it covered the entire hallway, blocking the security guards from being able to even see Jaune.

Inside the security room Jacques was trying to adjust the camera to observe what was happening behind the white wall of hardened organic material. The camera's movement drew the grimm's attention, prompting its sudden destruction via grimm tendril.

Once again, silence reigned in the room, until after several seconds one of the guards scraped together enough courage to ask "What now?". Jacques starred at the man, pinning him to the spot with wide eyes.

"Give me your scroll." Jacques ordered numbly, he had lost control of the situation so quickly he still had trouble believing it. He couldn't believe the venerable Jacques Schnee, head of SDC, The largest dust mining company on remnant, was going to call for help.

The scroll was picked up on the first ring, the secretary answering was shocked to see who was calling and immediately put his call through. It took only a second for a new face to show up on the screen.

"I didn't expect to hear from you Mr. Sc-" General ironwood cut off when he noticed the look on Jacques's face, a look that reminded him of shell shocked soldiers. "What happened Jacques? What's going on?" He took on a serious tone, never having seen Jacques quite so pale before.

"We have a containment breach. Code black." Jacques spoke with a surreal calm, using the code they reserved for a grimm outbreak. "I'm at the facility just underneath my manor, bring everyone you can as fast as you can. Time is running out Ironwood, I'm sending you files." He paused, took a purposeful breath in, and continued "More will be sent if things get worse." he sat at a console and began tapping away vigorously, sending Ironwood the files pertaining to Jaune.

"I'm on my way Jacques, I'll be there in twenty. You better survive, I'll need far more than your usual BS explanation for this." Ironwood stated and hung up, already sensing that Jacques wasn't listening. He would get his answers, something that could scare the head of the SDC wasn't going to slide under the Atlas military radar!

Jacques took another ten seconds to finish locking down the area around Jaune before turning and running out the door, yelling an order to the four man security detail to defend as he ran.

At this point he wasn't sure if they would follow the order, they saw the same thing he did, any sane man would flee from it. He knew it wouldn't matter, he didn't have any doubt that only an experienced hunter or huntress could hope to take down that monster. It's movements were to fast and its armor too hard for normal soldiers to handle.

He knew he wouldn't die there, oh no that wasn't what drove so much fear into his step. What he witnessed was unlike anything he had seen before, the grimm hadn't just killed his men, He would argue that it didn't even eat them.

That grimm absorbed them, broke them down and brought the remains into itself, getting several times bigger in the process. If that process is allowed to be repeated another hundred times would the grimm just keep getting bigger? Or would it stop after a certain size and start getting stronger?

He shook the thoughts from his mind, he had to focus on finding his children and getting to the bullhead on the roof.

He paused as a scream echoed through the halls, they must be attempting another assault, or perhaps some suicidal idiot tried to play hero. The morbid thought almost made him chuckle, hopefully a real hero could slay this monster before it consumed them all

 **I wanna thank all of the people who f** **avorited** **and followed, I am so happy to have support building for my story. Hope you all have a good day/evening.**

 **Thank you Sm0keyPanda! I'll do my best!**

 **Alno**


	5. chapter 5

**Hope i explained things clearly, let me know if not. enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 5

Jaune felt like he was floating in a sea of jelly, unable to move but so warm all around. His eyelids felt so heavy, keeping him blind to the world around.

 **Jaune? I've repaired the damaged done to your heart. You can open your eyes.** At its words, the floating, jelly feeling disappeared and he could feel his eyes opening slowly. What he woke up to gave him more than a moment's pause, having trouble taking in everything around him.

" **Are we… still at Jacques's?"** He gazed around, the surprise clear on his features. The hallway was almost completely covered in the same white substance as his claws, black veins spread throughout with only a single light still showing. It had also breached the other doors as well, the material caving inwards at several spots where Jaune was sure they used to be.

 **We are, I made some necessary adjustments to the surroundings to protect you, so it looks different.** The grimm explained, it was unclear if the other humans would do something drastic so it took the best steps to ensure Jaune's and its own safety.

Jaune walked over to a wall and placed his hand on it, goosebumps crawling up his arm on contact. It felt as hard as the steel walls it covered but radiated its own warmth, Jaune wasn't sure if anything could compare.

" **What are you…?"** If the Grimm wasn't privy to Jaune's emotions it might have thought there was fear in that question. But the boy continued to show not but curiosity, confusing the grimm further, why did the other humans showed such fear?

 **Those humans I broke down called me grimm. I believe your dad used to tell you stories about them. But I don't match your dad's description of "Grimm bigger than a mountain".** It paused, attempting to collect more information from the guards brain matter. **It's hard to remember… I don't think I match the other human's memories of grimm either.**

Jaune sat on the ground, an uncomfortably sick feeling welling up inside his stomach. His heart began to hammer, but he knew the grimm wouldn't let it last. **What's wrong Jaune? I can feel you're getting upset, please tell me why.** It asked politely, trying to mimic the way Jaune was taught, hoping to calm him.

" **Why don't I remember you… "breaking down" those people?"** He knew what it meant, he knew he had killed people, or at least a part of him knew. The rest of him didn't know what to think, feeling confused. Scared.

The Grimm was silent, unsure how to answer. **...I believe something is wrong with us. Twice now we have gone into a frenzy that neither of us remember, I am not positive yet but i believe the cause to be other humans.** It couldn't remember exactly what happened that lead to Jaune with a chunk of metal wedge in his spine but it remembered what happened just before and after.

 **Though technically you don't remember because you were wounded and unconscious.** It felt the need to answer his original question, thought left out just how close to death Jaune had been.

Jaune felt confused, why had he been shot? Did Jacques know? It didn't make sense why they would shoot someone that Jacques knew about but the voice hadn't lied to him yet. " **Why did you kill people?"** Jaune still had to ask, he thought he already knew but he wanted to hear out loud.

 **One of them shot you Jaune, and neither of us can remember why. If they had done it for no reason we would have to eliminate the threat but I don't know if that was the case.** It sounded lost in thought for a moment before continuing. **I needed fresh material to repair the damaged done to your organs, in my haste I failed to notice several other humans with weapons when I took the materials from the one who shot you.**

 **I reacted fast enough to stop any metal from entering your body but I couldn't do it for long, as a result I chose to break down two more humans and make a barricade between us.** Jaune raised an eyebrow and looked around, the entire hallway plus rooms was covered in the material. It was simple enough to see there was far too much material to be just two people.

 **Several rooms contained small Grimm while the farthest room had a large supply of my… I think you could call it my body.** It offered, anticipating Jaune's next question.

Jaune scratched his head for a few seconds, trying to process the explanation, before letting out a frustrated sigh. " **That doesn't make things very easy…"** He muttered under his breath. **I'm sorry Jaune, I did what I had to to keep you alive.** Its tone sounded surprisingly apologetic, feeling the remorse that Jaune was radiating.

" **It's not your fault… I lost control too. So what's happening now Grimm? Should I call you Grimm?"** Jaune asked, unsure if the voice wanted the name that someone it killed had called it.

 **Hmm perhaps… But I believe that name is meant to describe all sorts of creatures, not just myself.** Jaune frowned, unsure what a name was supposed to be, how did his parents think of his name? It sounded like the grimm wanted one too so he didn't want to disappoint his friend.

Jaune scratched his chin, looking around at the grimm's creation, maybe he could use what it looked like. White with black running through it… whiteblack. Whitback. " **What about Whitback?"** Jaune looked up around at the grimm's makeshift shelter made solely to protect him. " **Whitback the Grand Protector!"** Jaune smiled at the title he came up with.

 **Whitback. the Grand Protector?** Whitback sounded out his new name, enjoying how it made Jaune smile. **Yes, I think it will do rather well.** Jaune nodded, pleased with himself.

 **We still have the other humans to deal with.** Jaune frowned again, he just wanted to close his eyes and hope everything would be better when he woke up. He knew it was impossible but the thought remained.

" **Maybe we can talk…?"** Jaune asked, unsure how Whitback would react to the suggestion. **Are you sure that's possible? They have attempted to breach several times already, I've been forced to destroy their weapons and fracture bones to prevent them from touching me.** Jaune breathed a sigh of relief, at least it was showing restraint.

" **I still think we should try, worse case we're back to standing around in here."** Jaune motioned around him, hoping Whitback would understand or at least let him try. **If you believe it to be our best option then I'll try to help you. Assuming it doesn't put our life at risk.** Jaune flashed a bright smile and nodded " **Agreed".**

 **\\-/**

"What do we do?" A confused voice rang out from the group of security guards, the confusion mirrored what several of the group was feeling. The majority of them were holding position at the top of the staircase while several went to brief general Ironwood on the situation when he arrived. "I mean, it isn't doing anything and we can't break it so do we just sit here?"

"I believe that is what Mr. Schnee ordered us to do, yes." A voice rang out over the headset, clearly the security room hadn't seen anything strange after the original incident, so what was the subject doing? The waiting was simultaneously terrifying and a bit boring.

"What is going on here!?" A deep voice called out, commanding so much power while barely needing to raising it. General Ironwood seemingly drove a rod up all the guards backs, everyone standing right up at his words. "Awaiting further orders sir!" A brave soul replied.

"I was informed there was already three men dead, and this is how you "hold the line"?! Disgraceful!" He was already moving, strides so long he was at the stairs in seconds, keeping an eye on the unknown substance that blocked them. "I-it hasn't done anything sir." A less brave, more foolish voice, pointed out.

"And you think that means it's safe?!" Before Ironwood could continue a loud cracking sound resonated from the grimm-made structure, the wall beginning to liquify and move.

"Arms at the ready!" He commanded, not a soul daring to disobey they all lined up beside him, aiming rifles at the shifting, almost slime-like material. Then it began shrinking, Pulling backwards until they couldn't see it without moving further down the stairs.

"Secure the files and make your way to my position" Ironwood muttered into his collar, giving his specialist the green light. He then started walking down, his revolver ready to blast a hole into whatever might move too quickly.

The strange substance continued to retreat, until it was completely absent in the hallway, save for a single door covered by it at the end of the hallway.

"Check the other rooms in pairs of two, make sure nothing surprises us." He ordered the soldiers behind him and continue to the "Grimm" looking door. He motioned to one of the remaining guards "You, Keep an eye on it." Without another word he opened the door closest to the grimm, marked "observation", putting two and two together he entered and shut it behind him.

When he saw the small, pale child with red eyes and black veins standing just on the other side of a thick pane of glass, he knew he found Jacques's little project. "Jacques told me about you, his files said you were an orphaned boy they combined with some new grimm. Is that true?" Ironwood let his revolver fall to his side, but his finger remained on the trigger just in case.

Jaune nodded slowly, uncertainty written on his face but he didn't seemed panicked or distressed. "Am I talking with The grimm? or Jaune?" Ironwood pressed, hoping he wouldn't have to put a child down, but fully expecting to.

" _ **Both"**_ Its voice reverberated through the room, almost resonating with itself. Ironwood steeled his nerves, forcing any fear away with sheer willpower, he continued his "interrogation".

"Why did you kill those men?" " _ **Whitback broke down a man to heal a fatal wound to Jaune's heart. The other two were used to make adequate defences in order to make time for Jaune's recovery."**_ Ironwood raised an eyebrow, why was it answering his questions so readily? That single answer spoke volumes of the grimm's abilities, why wouldn't it at least try to hide them?

"So then, Am I talking to Whitback?" The child's face scowled, turning into a pout like any other child. " _ **I already told you it's both of us. didn't you listen?"**_ It glared at him and though it had the face of a child, the black veins and red eyes made for a disturbing picture.

"Of course, I'm just a bit confused. What are you trying to do here?" Ironwood couldn't understand its motives, it was clearly grimm, its origins ensured that. But then, why wasn't it trying to kill them like any other grimm?

" _ **Trying to do…?"**_ It scratched its head, looking upwards thoughtfully. " _ **I wanted to be stronger… wanted to stop the... to stop them from…"**_ Its voice trailed off while it fell to its knees, its inhuman voice thick with very human emotion. James ironwood, military general of atlas, seen as a stone wall devoid of feelings, felt his heart wrench at the sight of a weeping child.

Then, as suddenly as it started, it was over, the child staring blankly at Ironwood once again. " _ **Jaune doesn't want others to suffer like him. Whitback will help Jaune stop the White-fang. Will you help me? or will you get in the way?"**_ Ironwood felt his muscles tense, He couldn't let the subject do anything drastic! Even with the face of a kid, it was still classified as an experimental bioweapon.

"Listen, I would like to help but the issue is far more complicated than a ki-" " _ **No!"**_ A loud bang surprised Ironwood, the grimm having stomped its foot on the ground with enough force to dent the steel underneath. Ironwood couldn't believe it, the thing was pouting again, not attacking or killing anyone. Just pouting. Like a child.

"Very well… I'll help Jaune. But in exchange you will do as I say." He couldn't afford for a fight to break out down here, if it proved problematic it could easily end up in the streets above ground. ironwood figured, best case it was being honest and he could teach it to be a soldier, thought he was seriously doubting that would happen. Worse case, it was lying and he would have to fight it after it got stronger.

That last thought caused his trigger finger to twitch but he didn't raise his hand. The glass between them would block a lot of damage, giving it plenty of time to defend and put another wall up. He shook the thought, without proper intelligence he was at a major disadvantage and could easily end up "broken down" as it so eloquently put it. He would keep an eye on it, but might ultimately have to trust it as much as he disliked the idea.

" **deal!"** Its voice change slightly, still inhuman but it no longer resonated in Ironwood's ears. " **That felt weird…"** Jaune muttered, clearly a bit spaced out before turning back to Ironwood. " **Whitback doesn't trust you. He wanted to make sure we both could talk at the same time."** Jaune offered with a nervous smile, hoping the larger man wasn't angry with him.

"I see." Ironwood said, not fully sure what that meant but deciding against wasting more time. He gave a nod and left the observation room meeting his specialist just on the other side of the door.

"Change of plans, we have a passenger coming back with us. Order two squads to come down and assist with cleanup" He said quietly before turning to the rest of Jacques's guards, the shorter man trotting off quickly.

"Attention employees of the SDC. Due to the illegal experimentation done on humans in this facility, everyone here is required to follow me for questioning." When he noticed a hesitation he cocked his revolver dangerously. "Remember I am a trained huntsmen and you are all war criminals. This is your only shot of leniency."

"Sir! yes sir!" every weapon hit the floor as the men saluted, praying they didn't just get the death sentence. Ironwood was grateful Jacques at least seemed to hire from a military background.

Then he turned to look at the strange substance that blocked the doorway, forced to wait for a child. A child he was sure could to turn him into literal human fucking soup. "I hope your happy Jacques…" he muttered, he would make sure that man paid for this mistake.

 **This chapter was still difficult but I admit I really enjoy attempting a unique but still "Grimm" personality(hopefully I'm doing alright). At this moment I'm still debating whether Jaune should be raised with ironwood and the Atlas military, or outside the protecting of civilization. I have ideas for both so wont be problem either way it goes. Thanks for reading and have wonderful morning/evening.**

 **Hope I didn't let you down Sm0keyPanda, I thought this made sense considering Jaune's innocence and Whitback's "danger level" but feel free to let me know what you think. As I said earlier, I'm still debating if Jaune truly goes with Ironwood.**

 **Alno**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you all so much, I can't** **believe** **the attention Grimm choices is getting! (A lot to me) Hope you enjoy the latest chapter!**

Chapter 6

" **No! You can't honestly expect me to go out completely covered."** Jaune was trying to be friendly but being completely covered in a shell would only look like he was ready to fight.

 **I already told you, we can't trust them.** Whitback responded, its own voice raising in frustration. They had been arguing back and forth forth at least two minutes, Ironwood must have been wondering what was taking them so long by now.

 **We need to protect ourselves and to do that I need to be able get between any threat and your body at a moments notice. You have to understand why.** The memory of Jaune's fatal wound still fresh in Whitback's mind

" **Would you feel better if I held your hand?"** Jaune asked, extending a hand to the air and mimicking what Whitback had said to him. After a moment of silence Whitback summoned the doll, much faster than earlier, and grabbed Jaune's hand with it. **You won't wander off. right?** Whitback said, a memory of Jaune getting lost at a store during childhood playing in its mind.

" **I Promise! now come on and open the door, That big guy must be getting worried by now."** At his command the doll grabbed ahold of the bone-like material covering the doorway and withdrew it, like a vacuum it was absorbed into the dolls hand. **The guards called him "General Ironwood" by the way. Try not to forget it, I think he's important.** Whitback muttered just as Ironwood came into view.

To Jaune's relief Ironwood had a scroll in his hand to occupy the wasted time but why did it have a picture of him on the screen? Jaune was curious but didn't have time to think about it as Ironwood brought his attention up.

"Good, I was beginning to worry you…" James's paused, looking at the life-like Jaune replica, had it any real color besides black and white he might've mistaken it for a twin of some kind.

He focused on his training for grimm, forcing any negativity from his mind and focusing on the task. "Pleasure to meet you, I assume your Whitback" The doll nodded in response, its lips remaining sealed.

Ironwood blinked once, debating something, before stepping to the side and motioning for Jaune to go forward. Jaune thought nothing of the action and took a proud step forward, he had just made his first peace deal after all. Whitback was more cautious, keeping the doll between Jaune and Ironwood with a firm grip on the former's hand.

As they walked Jaune noticed several soldiers, dressed differently than the Jacques's guards, had made a circle around him, leading him up further stairs. Suddenly his proud steps turned nervous as he felt all the attention focusing on him.

The doll moved closer and Jaune felt Whitback start forming a "shell" around his chest. **I don't trust them Jaune…** Was all it said.

Jaune didn't stop it from shielding them, truth be told he was having doubts about his plans too. " **I-it'll be fine…"** Jaune whispered to himself, attempting and failing to avoid noticed.

It wasn't long before they reached the roof and Jaune took his first breath of fresh air since arriving at Jacques's. He took another breath of air, enjoying the taste of snow on the wind, when another scent suddenly drafted towards him. A scent that made him freeze while the doll start shivering. Ironwood was about to speak up when another, furious voice echoed over the rooftop.

"IRONWOOD YOU BASTARD!" Jacques's voice was quickly followed by his footsteps quickly marching over. James's turned to the man, a stony expression passing over him as Jacques got closer. He didn't seem to care his entire family was watching from inside the nearby schnee bullhead, all clueless why their father was so angry. Winter held Weiss close to her while Whitley was in the arms of a caretaker all incredibly confused, bordering scared.

"You robbed me!" His voice lowered slightly as he approached but the red in his face did not fade. "All my project files are gone! My employees taken for questioning and my research subject stolen right in front of me!" Jacques glared but earned no reaction from the larger man other than his regular stone-like features.

"Mr. Schnee, with all due respect" Ironwood's voice took on a dangerous tone, his own anger starting to get the better of him. "You called me! I am only picking up you-"

"Dont move!" both men were cut off by one of Jaune's escorts yelling the words loud enough for all to hear. They turned to see a Jaune on his hands and knees, that same white material from the hallway covered him from head to toe. Its mouth hung open though no teeth or tongue could be seen through the gaping maw, only cold void that threatened to devour all.

Guns were cocked and safety's thrown off, none of the men expecting such a rapid or drastic transformation. " _ **I smell it… I must have it…"**_ Ironwood recognized the way its voice resonated but it sounded strained to the breaking point.

Jaune couldn't think past the haze, he could think only of the smell so sweet it drove him wild, what was making it!? He had to find it! Had to eat it!

Someone spoke but He couldn't hear over the blood pounding in his skull. He took another breath in, trying to catch the scent again but it was starting to drift away. He shook his head and stood up straight, taking in one more deep breath before letting it out. suddenly a loud crash shook the roof, Jaune having fallen backwards still fully "armored", his young mind and body still reeling from the event.

 **You muscles need to recover Jaune, It appears I've injured our body when forming such a haphazard shield. Please, rest. I'll deal with Ironwood until you're better.** Whitback's voice was kind, almost lulling him to sleep. Jaune frowned and tried to move, he didn't want to abandon his friend to take the blame but his body felt so heavy.

 **No one was injured, they shouldn't be too mad. now, rest.** Whitback's word accompanied him into a dreamless sleep, all he could do was trust Whitback again. At least they hadn't hurt anyone this time, that was a comforting thought.

\\-/

Ironwood stared blankly, willing any trace of fear from his mind just like he had conditioned his soldiers to do. He realized it was Jacques;s and his anger that set off the grimm, so he ordered no shots taken, praying that the boy would calm down with a lack of negativity around. It was a gamble that could've ended with them all dead. A gamble that paid off if the unconscious body was anything to go by.

"Now then. Jacques." Ironwood cleared his throat and turned to Jacques, who was still staring warily at Jaune. "I believe our business is concluded, I trust you'll contact me before…" He paused, looking over at Jaune a frown coming over his face "Doing anything so foolish again. good day." He turned and left the man to his family, catching sight of a starried eyed Winter and Weiss. Maybe he made an impression on the young girls? The thought made him chuckle, a Schnee joining the military, what a boon that would be.

"Get him in the bullhead" Ironwood ordered while walking onto the large aircraft himself, turning to see several of his soldiers struggling to lift the small boys body. Each limb (excluding his head) had someone holding it and yet they still could barely drag him up the ramp. A screeching noise caused by the "armor" dragging on metal caused some flinches but no other problems were had as they took off.

Ironwood was quickly distracted by his scroll, already busying himself with files about Jaune as the bullhead started flying through the air. To his dismay there weren't many files about Jaune or the grimm that lived inside him. It seemed the "viral-grimm" came from the grimm-lands but little else was known, They didn't have it for long enough to learn more.

The files said Jacques had more of the viral-grimm in cold storage but Jaune had cleared out all the rooms before James's had got there, leaving nothing for him to take back. That may have been for the better though, he thought with a sigh, there was no telling what the council might do with the kind of sick power Jaune had shown.

\\-/

When Jaune finally woke up he found himself inside a much more comfortable room than the one Jacques had put him in. For starters, there was no massive window Jaune felt himself being watched from and he could even see doorknobs on both the doors in the room. His bed was much bigger with a thick blanket underneath him, he also saw a wardrobe to which he was delighted to find fresh clothing inside. He quickly stripped out of the old shorts and shirt he woke up in at Jacques's and grabbed pants and a shirt.

" **You're being quiet, everything alright Whitback?"** He said while pulling on the trackpants and T-shirt he had found. **Of course Jaune, I was just thinking about our next step.** Jaune noted the uncomfortable feeling that accompanied Whitback's voice was still there, but he was just happy to hear him again nonetheless. " **Are you talking about Ironwood or…?"** Jaune asked, not wanting to mention the White-fang as just thinking about them made his stomach twist.

 **If you want to let them go, I won't let them hurt us again.** Whitback knew what the feeling in Jaune's stomach meant, recognising the emotions of anger mixed with grief.

Jaune shook his head " **It isn't just about me... I don't want anyone to go through what I did"** Jaune couldn't even remember what he was trying to prevent, but the feeling it brought when he tried to shook his whole body to the core. He needed to stop them.

 **You want revenge?** Whitback asked simply, it wanted to understand clearly as to make the best possible plan. If Jaune wanted to wipe them from the face of the planet, Whitback was sure it could come up with something.

" **Yes. no! maybe...?"** Jaune couldn't think straight, his head felt like it was being ripped in two. He hadn't thought about revenge but the feeling in his chest made his fists shake, Whitback had to feel it too. Jaune wanted to them to suffer but that thought sicked him and made his splitting headache much worse.

 **You have time Jaune, think about it clearly.** With Whitback's words came a calming wave that Jaune felt wash away the pain in his head and stomach, relaxing him enough to think clearly.

" **I feel they need to pay for what they did. But not the innocent. Never the innocent."** The surreal calm in his voice gave him chills, he hadn't realised how much he sounded like Whitback.

"I couldn't have put it better myself" Ironwood's voice made Jaune jump and drew his attention to the door, the distance letting Ironwood open it without Jaune noticing.

Jaune couldn't help but go red in the face, but the proud feeling in his stomach told Whitback to avoid squashing the emotion. " **I didn't notice you there Ironwood."** Jaune mumbled while turning to face Ironwood.

"I'm sure Whitback saw me immediately." He said offhandedly and walked into the room, stopping a comfortable distance from Jaune. "Do you like your new room? It's a bit plain but gives you plenty of space and you're free to decorate it how you please." Ironwood explained with an easy smile covering up anything he might be thinking.

" **It's wonderful! Much better than the one I was in before, especially if I can change it"** Jaune smiled cheerfully, his nervousness covered by the gratitude he felt. He was surprised to hear he could decorate, but he wondered what he could decorate with. Maybe some markers?

" **um, Ironwood?"** he asked suddenly, before Ironwood could say something else. " **Will you really let me fight the White-Fang?"** He was worried, after all the bad things he had done at Jacques's house, Ironwood would be mad and not let him do anything.

Ironwood looked at the boy curiously, he was smarter than he let on, suspicion would keep help keep him out of danger. "Well Jaune, I'll be honest." He dropped the smile, his expression taking a stern edge. "How you are right now, I would never let you step foot out of this building." despite the harsh words Jaune started smiling, catching what the man was saying.

" **How I am right now huh? Than I'll have to get stronger than I am right now! I'll get so strong you'll have to let me be a hero!"** Jaune let no doubt in his voice, matching Ironwoods gaze with a confident smile.

Ironwood finally let his gaze drop with a smile playing on his lips "Excellent! then we have a deal." He extended his hand and Jaune took it without hesitation, failing to notice how Ironwood flinch on contact.

The feeling of an insect crawling in his brain was there and gone as fast as it took Jaune to grab and let go of his hand. But Whitback's words echoed in his mind still, the moment of contact was all it needed to pass a message, a warning.

 **Do not try to fool us. I am watching.**

 **So bit of a shorter chapter, sorry about that everyone but I feel it makes sense to end this chapter here. next chapter I believe I'll be skipping ahead some years, probably once mid way to show progress (and possibly add a flip depending how I feel when writing/re-writing) and again just before Beacon. I hope no one minds all the buildup, I hope I've kept it interesting. Thank you all so much and have a good morning/evening.**

 **Sm0keyPanda, My thoughts were about the same, Ironwood seemed like the type to get the job done "no matter the cost". thankfully his job is protecting Atlesian citizens and not lining his pocket or rep like Jacques. Thank you for your support!**

 **I know what you mean Artjom435, I have trouble listening to the story of Prototype 2, Alex going full Snidley Whiplash seemed real dumb for one which is the bases for the whole story. but i love those mechanics, I spent hours carving my way through new York (or Manhattan or wherever. again alno no care for story.) hope your enjoying my story better than prototype.**

 **Alno**


	7. Chapter 7

**Wow! major influx of followers, favs and views, thank you all so much for the attention! Hope you all enjoy the next Chapter!**

Chapter 7

~Six years later~

"I still think we should push into Atlas, set up a few outposts around the SDC so we can hit them fast and hard." Adam insisted while looking over a map of vale atop his desk. Across from him Blake frowned at the idea, clearly upset with his lack of caution.

"You honestly think they'll just let us set up shop in their backyard? you can't be serious." It was a foolish idea, not only would they have to worry about the grimm and huntsmen, they'd also have the entire Atlesian military a stone's throw away. "Once their patrols spot us it'll be hours at most until Atlas show's up to wipe us out."

"Then what do you suggest?" His voice held frustration, hours of arguing over their next move was yielding little results and Blake's sarcasm had lost its charm four comments ago. "We can't just sit around doing nothing."

"I suggest," she narrowed her eyes, hating when Adam started to lose patience, it usually meant the end of the meeting. "That we remain here, in Vale. Secure our position and work at cutting the SDC's support from under them. At least-" she stopped suddenly, Her ears twitching at the top of her head.

"What is it?" Adam recognized the action while his hand fell upon his blade, wondering if some SDC assassin would taste its steel. It wouldn't have been the first time he had been targeted within his own compound, Schnee's only hired the best after all.

"You had someone standing watch for us, didn't you?" Blake pulled gamble shroud free in anticipation, "Because I can't hear their breathing anymore". She wasn't sure exactly when it had stopped but its absence was all she could hear now.

"Among the dozens I have patrolling around the place, yea. Someone should be there." This was one of their larger armories hidden in Vale, He'd be a fool to have any less than seventy fanus loyal to the White Fang guarding the place. Whoever had come had to be at least half as skilled as the average huntress, sneaking or killing their way in unnoticed wasn't easy.

" _You heard… the lack of breathing?"_ A distorted voice called from the door, as if it was being filtered through a voice changer. " _I was unaware faunus could have such impressive hearing."_ The door knob turned, The locking mechanism barely making a difference as it audibly snapped, leaving the door to swing open.

" _I assume it's a result of training rather than innate ability, none of the other's were nearly as perceptive."_ The male figure stood at the doorway covered head to toe in sleek, black body armor with a tinted glass visor hiding the face. The armor stood in stark contrast to the white shield on his left arm and a matching sword stuck to his right forearm. " _You have aura as well…"_ It trailed off, as if thinking to itself.

Blake hesitated, its armor alone held an intricity that she had yet to see before. It was hard to see clearly with the pitch black color scheme but when he took a breath, however shallow, she could just make it out. Hundreds of metal plates sliding silently in unison to give the wearer a full range of movement and,depending on the metal used, an incredibly reliable defense.

Adam was not so reserved, choosing to learn about his opponent the old fashion way. He lunged forward without a word, sending wilt whistling through the air in a direct path with the figure's neck. Armor or not the blow could decapitate most with surgical precision.

Its shield came up instantly, not only stopping but pushing his blade back and causing the bull faunus to stumble slightly. Then its sword rose just as fast, seeing the opening and bring the weapon down with merciless brutality.

Blake was already acting, throwing her pistol with a ribbon attached, it wrapped around Adam's stomach and pulled just as the pure white blade came crashing down. Coming within inches of Adam, it bit deeply into the concrete giving Blake the opportunity to rush in for an attack.

Adam let out a deep breath, calming himself and sheathing his blade at the same time. He didn't think his opponent would have such brute strength considering its smaller stature. Taking the time Blake was buying He began to charge his semblance, storing more and more energy into his blade.

Blake knew how long Adam's semblance would take and used her own semblance to catch the Assassin's blade in a clone made of ice just as Adam finished charging. Without hesitation Adam set loose his moonslice, the built up energy extending out past his blade in a devastating, horizontal swipe.

The figure, and everything in the general direction of said figure, was caught in the destruction, destroying the wall of concrete and creating a wall of dust. Blake squinted her eyes to look closely at the cloud, she was expecting him to charge out with another swipe but she wasn't too keen on charging in herself to blinded by dust. she would wait until it cleared or an attack came.

\\-/

"How does the new suit fit?" James stood tall, seemingly unaffected by the lurching of the bullhead while speaking to Jaune. They had been flying for a few minutes when he had finally broke the silence, wanting to confirm some details before Jaune's mission start.

" **Feels good!"** Jaune replied while stretching his arms, enjoying the flexibility of the armor. **It feels much heavier than the suit we normally wear, What's it made from? Feels far too heavy for any normal human to wear.** Jaune had to chuckle at Whitback's bluntness, he didn't disagree but probably would have phrased it different.

" **Whitback likes it too and is wondering what its made of."** Jaune relayed while inspecting the slots on each of his forearms, his pale skin showing through the only exposed spots in the whole suit. The rest of his skin covered in hundreds of metal plates that Whitback attached to snuggly from underneath.

"It's a prototype we've been testing, I've had it modified to allow for Whitback's full assistance." James added while pulling the file up on his scroll. "It's covered in thin but durable plates made from steel compound, so it'll be a lot heavier than the regular militia outfit you wear to cover your features." James explained patiently, they didn't have the time for questions earlier when their schedule forced them into the bullhead at 0600 hours.

"It's normally infused and powered with dust for the weight and is planned to be outfitted with an specialised AI to keep the plates from sticking and rubbing against each other. You don't need to worry about any of that of course, since Whitback can fill both roles." James continued knowing full well Jaune had already stopped listening and distracted himself with the moving plates. James mainly went on for Whitback, knowing the grimm to have a ravenous curiosity and nearly perfect memory.

" **Ya ya, so are you finally giving me a cool weapon like yours? I mean even winter has one and I've been here two whole years longer!"** Jaune motioned to the cockpit where Winter was piloting, already bored of all of James's explaining. The suit was cool but he didn't care about AI's and especially didn't care about dust. He couldn't even activate the stupid rocks, so why bother learning about the stuff.

"She is seven years your senior and doesn't have an almost infinite supply of biomass protecting her at all and her fighting style goes beyond "Smash it fast and eat everything in site."." he explained with a sigh, lord knows he tried to train the boy but Jaune didn't seem to have a talented bone in his body. Without Whitback assisting his movements he was practically a civilian with a scary pet. At least he could take a hit like none other, always coming back for more.

" **Hey! It's not infinite. Just what I could grab from the outposts you've sent me to clear."** Jaune felt the need to clarify but couldn't deny his fighting had a "simple elegance" as he liked to say. Whitback called it blunt but effective so what else did he need?

James let out another sigh, that could be anywhere between one and two hundred White Fang extremists. It sounded like a lot but it was only about five or six outposts give or take. He didn't like sending the boy into danger and only did it on rare occasions, this mission was supposed to be a test to change that. Jaune wanted to contribute more, so James had to think of a proper test.

They continued to ride in silence, the trip taking the better part of ten hours even with the speedy bullhead. Their destination was a White Fang weapons depot tucked deep in the outskirts of a small island in Vale called Patch. The intelligence his scouts gathered suggested a large facility with at least a plattoons worth of masked extremists standing guard.

"We're approaching Patch." Winter called, warning Ironwood and startling a space out Jaune. "I'll get as close as possible without being seen." Secrecy was their top priority, Ironwood could ill afford news getting to Ozpin about Jaune. There was no telling what the old huntsman might do but it would be far easier for Ironwood if Oz just never found out to begin with.

Jaune took a moment to collect himself and calm his nerves. **We'll be fine Jaune, I'll keep us safe.** As comforting as its words were, the fear of pain wasn't the only reason Jaune shook. He didn't like what he had to do but he also refused to let nothing be done. The White fang had to be stopped, even if it meant he had to kill them.

Ironwood gave a nod and turned to Jaune, his expression turning serious when he noticed Jaune distracted. "Jaune, I want to be clear. This is not just another White Fang outpost guarded by a bunch of street toughs." He placed a hand on his shoulder, willing him to understand. "There is a good chance a high ranking member will be there overseeing operations. In all likelihood this individual will have Aura and training on how to use it." It was the main reason James had been avoiding sending Jaune to anything bigger than an outpost.

" **I'll be fine, Whitback's got my back after all."** Jaune gave a confident smile, he had no reason to think he could fail. Not even James's robots could lay a scratch on him, what could some White Fang scumbag do? Jaune had nothing to worry about.

"Just be cautious, we can't let Whitback be discovered by anyone. A witness with aura might be able to get away." James handed Jaune his helmet while speaking. "So if you find one, try not to let them see you do anything… grimm. Just in case." Jaune plunked the helmet on his head and gave a crude salute, the visor coming down a second later to cover his face.

"Follow the waypoint on your visor, it'll show you where to go." As the last word left his mouth the latch released and Jaune was jumping free of the bullhead. "Impatient kid…" James muttered into the empty cabin, he wasn't used to feeling such worry about his troops. Let alone a human/grimm hybrid.

\\-/

 **You honestly thought I would let you make a crater? Do you know how much noise that would make?** Jaune let out a defeated sigh " **I mean I guess not, but I'll be honest."** Jaune looked at around at the slow moving scenery while Whitbacks makeshift wings were slowing his fall. " **I was really hoping something a bit more... badass I guess"** Jaune mumbled to himself, upset with how ridiculous he looked.

The wings flapped erratically, not able to actually lift Jaune due to his immense weight, they looked more akin to a chicken flapping around in a vain attempt at flight. Jaune felt like a part of him died as he landed with a dull thump, praying James and Winter missed his little descent as they flew somewhere off coast to await his call.

 **Come now Jaune, do you want me to assist you with the mission? or help you look badass?** Jaune grumbled while letting Whitback withdraw the wings through the the slits on his forearms and cracks hidden underneath the plates. " **Why not both?"** He shot back while beginning to run towards his target. **I'm sure I can think of something eventually. Now focus Jaune.**

As he ran towards the blip shown on his visor he began to let the rhythm of his footsteps distract him from the anxiety seeping in. He knew he had nothing to worry about, Whitback was with him after all and it had never let anything happen to him before. Well, almost never… He pushed the thought away and picked up some speed.

The small waypoint on his visor disappeared automatically at 2000 hours as Jaune caught sight of the fenced off facility through the tree's. The darkening sky would serve no hindrance as Whitback had adjusted his eyes to work more like the faunus long ago. He moved from tree to tree, relying on his speed to get him closer without being seen.

As he moved, Whitback started relaying the enemies locations he could sense nearby, feeding information to Jaune on the ideal time to move and hold. Within seconds he was less than thirty feet from the main entrance, hiding behind a tree. While Peeking out he noted at least five guards at the main gate alone, not to mention any watchmen they had posted around keeping an eye out.

 **Move around the perimeter, take out stragglers and lone watchmen. Isolate and destroy.** Jaune leaned against the tree gently, he knew what was coming. Even if Whitback calmed his heart his mind kept moving in circles, He knew it had to be done. He just wished his hands would stop shaking. **Are you ready to kill?** Whitback's question rang in his mind, just like it had done every time death was necessary.

" **Only if you are"** He answered the same as he always did, his circling thoughts slowing as Whitback's influence mixed with his own and their mind became one. It was an odd sensation, like living in a lucid dream, his whole body would move without him having to make it or even really think about it. He just thought about what needed to happen and Whitback would handle the rest. Like a bullhead on autopilot.

Jaune needed to go around the perimeter and take out the guards, so his body moved, like a panther stalking through the brush it moved quickly and silently. It was seconds before he saw a lone faunus standing atop a watch tower, a scoped rifle in her hands meant for distance shooting.

That guard needed to die and Whitback took a quick glance around to make sure no one would notice before letting loose a thin tendril. The Faunus couldn't even gasp as the spike drove through her windpipe and into her spine, the flesh surrounding the wound turned black quickly followed by the rest of the faunus body as she was digested.

Jaune then jumped over the fence, rolling to minimize noise, he landed in front of the tower and quickly started moving again. With the first body gone it was only a matter of time before something was notice, he needed to move fast and finish the guards outside. Whitback obliged Jaune happily, enjoying the flashes of information it obtained from the grey matter consumed.

With lethal efficiency, Jaune and Whitback tore their way through the facility, leaving no White Fang member alive. This was the justice they deserved, for dealing in death they only deserved death. Jaune had no reason to believe otherwise and he wouldn't be satisfied until they were all gone.

but why then, did it make him feel so cold?

He spun around the final corner, his tendrils making short work of a Faunus standing just outside the door. He could only sense two now, inside the room, but something was different about them. Almost like they somehow exuded more of a presence.

"You had someone standing watch for us, didn't you? Because I can't hear their breathing anymore." The female's voice was sounded vaguely familiar but Whitback was more curious as to how the faunus had found them so easily.

"Among the dozens I have patrolling around the place, yea. Someone should be there." a male voice spoke while Jaune tapped at his helmet to turn on the built-in voice modulator. He wouldn't risk his voice being recognized, just as Ironwood said, he couldn't be discovered.

" _You heard… The lack of breathing?"_ He wondered out loud for a moment while forming weapons at his side in preparation. once a sword and shield formed the black veins that covered the material faded away, preventing him from morphing the weapons but giving them a less monstrous appearance. "The devil was in the details" as Ironwood taught him.

" _I was unaware the faunus could have such impressive hearing"_ He twisted the doorknob, headless of its protests, and opened the door to look between a red haired, male bull faunus and a black haired, female cat faunus. Both held weapons that looked highly customized, reminding Whitback of how Ironwood's specialists would arm themselves with similarly, specially crafted weapons.

" _I assume it's a result of training rather than innate ability, none of the other's were nearly as perceptive."_ They had to have training, they held such intricate weapons comfortably and didn't flinch from a fully armored opponent. That combined with the odd presence they gave off brought Whitback to a conclusion. " _You have aura as well…"_ That could prove a challenge, but even with aura he only needed to deal sufficient damage to defeat them.

He looked at the pair, took a breath, and waited for them to strike. Judging by their rather offensive weapons he figured it wouldn't be long until they came to meet his shield.

The red headed bull was the first to lunge, his blade clashing against Jaune's shield of ivory with a resounding clash. Jaune acted quickly to exploit the opening his shield afforded, bringing his blade down with all his might.

The black haired cat prevented his victory however by pulling the bull from his reach and forcing him to bury his blade into the concrete below. The female charged without hesitation, taking the opening his mistake gave her, she sent her blade that doubled as a pistol flying towards him. The ribbon attached to the trigger allowed her to fire and build momentum, manipulating its trajectory.

Jaune struggled to move as the ribbon wrapped around him, the cat tightening it more and more. He let a tendril slide from underneath one of the plates on his back, sharpening and cutting the ribbon out of sight. With a loud grunt he pulled free his arm/blade from the concrete just as the kitty was taking a swipe.

His shield blocked the sheath/cleaver that was coming for his neck and he attempted another swing of his own, not realizing she had her gun back in hand. With a press of its trigger she shifted backwards as the white blade flew for her, a copy of her made completely of ice catching it in her place.

Whitback realised their plan a moment too late, a wave of unprecedented energy already headed straight for Jaune. Whitback raised the shield, desperately attempting to block the steel from separating flesh. Jaune thought he was untouchable, and yet this searing pain in his chest spoke differently. Oddly enough though, the pain reminded him of his family.

 **I've… misjudged the situation. Please allow me to take full responsibility and rectify my mistake.** Jaune wanted to laugh, Of course it blamed itself again, despite him forcing them there to begin with. Well he supposed he had no other option, his sense of touch already going numb. " **Do your best Whitback."**

 **So I chose to make a large time skip in order to keep the story moving forward. I debated writing a few chapters of him being trained by Ironwood but in the end decided against it in favor of moving towards beacon. That being said I may still go very off track depending how things work out and any suggestions I may pick up on. I attempted to make Jaune a bit more "Teenagery" as he is about 15 right now. I hope I didn't do horribly, I was terribly "edgy" as a teen but i thought of Jaune as more of an awkward but joyful one so not sure how I did. Side note I really wish their was an "action" genre because I feel like that's what I'm focusing on (not on necessarily on purpose, just an observation). If anyone has genre suggestions please let me know!**

 **Thank you Artjom435, I try to improve whatever I can when re-reading. I would also like to say your comment is what made me think of an armored suit for Jaune. I'm sorry i didn't show much of the training, I hope I made the right call with a timeskip. Though the electricity is definitely something i'll be remembering for the future. Thank you for the idea's! I hope I'm not butchering them.**

 **Sm0keyPanda, I agree completely! I do see Ironwood as a hardass but not because he's a real dick or anything. He is in charge of protecting thousands (if not millions) of lives in a world where rocks explode more often than not! I can't imagine the stress that would put on somebody, let alone a world filled with Grimm. I hope I lived up to your expectations when writing him this chapter. I skipped a lot of time but I hope I was able to properly show their relationship.**

 **343, I can't believe I forgot that! I changed it as soon as I saw your review, Jaysus I can be scattered. I also added Ironwood and Jacques though I'll be honest, I don't know if I should've added Jacques as he is more of a secondary character. Hope your enjoying my work!**

 **Alno**


	8. Chapter 8

**Took a touch longer than expected, caught a bug last weekend and it suucked. Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 8

Suit integrity compromised, severe damage sustained to internal organs, several metal shards imbedded and severe hemorrhaging. Whitback had to act fast, unsure how long the wall of dust would stop the waiting faunus. It needed to repair the damage done to Jaune's body and replace the now severely damaged armor.

It released a large amount of liquid biomass to defend with before detaching itself from the damaged armor and letting it fall to the floor with a crash. As soon as the armor left Jaune's body, the released biomass swirled around to quickly replace the pitch black suit with one of near pure white.

Whitback opted to keep its own body spread throughout the armor to maintain full control of the material, it may have been risky showing off the black veins but Whitback was far more interested in Jaune's safety than Ironwood's secret.

It cleared the dust a moment later with a swipe of its sword, getting used to the way Jaune's body moved within the armor. Both faunus flinched, clearly taken aback by the sudden transformation. Rather than the multitude of moving plates, its armor was now one solid piece from head to toe that almost seemed to pulsate grotesquely. They also could see its weapons now covered in the same black veins as the new armor.

" **I would suggest you prepare."** Whitback warned them politely, it would rather avoid scaring them as it was more sensitive to negativity than Jaune was. With him recovering it would be far more difficult to regain control though even if it did lose control, it doubted the outcome would change. The Faunus would die either way.

It raised its blade, causing both faunus to fall into combat stances and The bull to start building power knew it couldn't let Jaune get hit with that attack a second time, the more trauma Jaune suffered the longer he would need remain unconscious.

Whitback crouched, acquiring further traction while grabbing his blade with two hands, it planned overwhelm the bull before he could attack. He was by far the bigger threat to Jaune with that energy blast of his.

Just as Whitback lunged forward at high speed the female took a shot at its helmet, having noticed the stance it was taking. The distraction was slight but the delay let the male move out of the way in time, sending Whitback flying towards the far wall unable to stop its forward momentum. Its weight combined with its speed sent it crashing straight through, landing on the grass two stories below with loud thud.

It quickly jumped to its feet while cursing its own stupidity, it should've expected the female to do something, they were a skilled as a team. One would distracted while the other charged that devastating attack to wipe out anything stronger than them. Clever but Whitback wouldn't be surprised a second time, it knew the attack was coming again and soon.

Whitback leapt back inside, a tendril prepared to pull it right back out if it saw that attack coming. Instead he was greeted by an empty room, neither cat nor bull waiting for him. " **Escaped…?"** Whitback muttered in confusion, it didn't smell the fear on them so why were they running?

With a frustrated growl it gave chase. Following their aura was simple, they might be able to leave the building but there was no way they could outrun Whitback in the open. It would still fix the situation and Ironwood would never have to know, they were on an island after all with no chance of escape so where could the faunus run?

Whitback caught sight of the pair just as they ran out the front door, neither even glimpsing backwards. It followed at a sprint and all but smashed through the door, regretting its decision a moment later. Without the tendril ready to pull back, Whitback might have been hit with the destructive energy hurtling towards the door.

Unfortunately the attack caused a portion of the building to collapse, blocking the exit and giving the faunus more time to run. It growled louder this time, these meatsack were really beginning to annoy it.

With a quick glance around, Whitback decided the rubble would be more difficult to move than just making a new entrance. It placed its shield between it and the wall before lunging forward with a tremendous smash. once outside it quickly noticed they had gotten too far for it to sense their aura, they were definitely faster than he expected.

Whitback let its helmet melt away, letting the air touch Jaune's face and more specifically, his nose. Using Jaune's senses Whitback picked the trail again within the minute and began the chase once more with its helmet regrown.

These faunus were proving more of a difficulty to than Whitback anticipated, it expected to have overwhelmed them by now. Aura was truly a formidable force, granting its bearer strength, speed and even special abilities. It caused Whitback sorrow knowing its "body" absorbed Jaune's aura as quickly as he could generate it.

If Whitback turned out weaker than aura, it meant it was not a friend, but a parasite. " **I am not a parasite..."** It assured itself and it would prove it by catching and disposing of these cowardly faunus. Jaune would have nothing to worry about.

\\-/

Blake was glad Adam had listened to her and retreated when they had the chance, anything that survived Adam's Moonslice demanded caution, but they had nowhere to run now. The only bullhead the White fang had on this island was back at the armory towards that **thing** , the only other one would have to be in town. She shook her head, too many innocent people would be at risk if they started fighting in the small city.

Maybe they could lead it away, circle back and hope the bullhead wasn't destroyed. It almost guaranteed whatever was chasing them would catch up and need fighting off at least once. She didn't like the idea of fighting in the woods, it would draw grimm towards them and make the fight much harder than it already would be.

Adam interrupted her thoughts, grabbing her arm and pulling her into him a moment before a needle like tendril impacted with his aura. The pair were sent flying, smacking against another tree before hitting the ground. Adam staggered to his feet as fast as he could, blocking the follow up attack with Wilt, storing the kinetic energy in preparation for another Moonslice.

Blake was on her feet a moment later, cutting a good foot off the tendril with Gambol shroud before it could pull back. The hiss in the distance was a good sign, at least it felt pain. It closed the distance suddenly, its blade flying towards Adam while its shield blocked the few bullets Blake could fire off.

Again Adam blocked it, storing more energy but being sent flying straight through a tree by sheer force alone. Adam barely registered the pain, his aura blocking the majority of the damage while he jumped back to his feet.

Blake engaged quickly, hoping to give Adam more time to charge his Moonslice. She expected the creature to block her slash but she didn't expect her blade to bite into the shield instead of bouncing.

With a sudden yank her blade was pulled free and a solid punch landed squarely into her diaphragm and sending her flying. Her aura prevented any fatal injury but at a huge cost to its reserves, leaving her winded and vulnerable.

"Blake!" Adam screamed out while releasing his Moonslice to stop the monster from sending more tendrils, kicking up a debris field in the process. He quickly rushed to the injured Blake, using the kicked up debris from his attack to cover them. "I'm fine Adam." She wheezed out with a cough, her lungs recovering from having the wind knocked from them.

" **Blake… and Adam…?"** The inhuman voice rang out from within the debris cloud. " **You are Blake and Adam?"** It inquired from within the cloud, followed by an odd noise that sounded like it was having trouble breathing. No, that was… Laughter?

" **Ahahaha! You can't be serious!"** With a grunt it jumped from the debris, landing just a few feet from the pair. Adam grabbed Wilt and prepared to defend against an attack that didn't come.

" **Your voices have changed a bit, I didn't recognize them."** It knew them? Blake couldn't remember anyone like the humanoid standing before them, no way she would forget either. Maybe it had read files on them?

Adam didn't dwell one the things words, drawing his blade with lightning speed only for it to stick to the things shield, just like Blake's weapon had. " **I doubt either of you care enough, you didn't when he was burning alive"** it muttered angrily under its breath while yanking Adams blade away.

" **But you have made my night exceptionally better."** They couldn't see its face but they could almost here the grin in its voice. Adam gritted his teeth, its superior tone of voice grating on his nerves more than any attack, he despised being looked down on.

He focused his aura into his fists quietly, without a weapon he may have been limited but he wouldn't let himself be defenseless. Behind him Blake was readying her semblance to distract the thing, thinking they might still be able to escape if they focused on a hit and run fight.

" **Are you sure you want to continue fighting?"** It sounded a bit confused, did it think they would just give in? " **An execution would be far less painful. But if you insist, I think I'm starting to enjoy this."** It leveled its blade at them, the odd flesh-like material pulsated sickeningly, as if preparing to explode.

"Did you know people usually like to sleep at night!" A new voice interrupted. "But I doubt any of you were thinking about that while making so much noise." A black haired man stood barely twenty feet away, drawing a massive scythe with a series of clicks and ratchets hinting to the complexity of the weapon.

"I don't think we've met you before." He pointed his scythe towards the grotesque "knight" that radiated danger. "The name's Qrow, and I'm afraid I can't let you just execute people all willy nilly. White Fang or not that's against the law." Blake wasn't sure why a human would defend them with their grimm masks giving away their allegiance. She wouldn't complain though, her aura was low and she would take any chance to recover it that she could get.

" **You can't let me…? "** It didn't turn its head while speaking, keeping its focus on Blake and Adam. " **They deserve death a hundred times over!"** It hissed angrily, sounding particularly vengeful towards the pair.

" **And now that you've seen me."** Its armor twitched and pulsed, the black veins making its movement incredibly noticeable. " **I'm afraid you must share their fate."** Blake could sense the figure building to something and without thinking grabbed Adam while activating her semblance. She wasn't sure what was about to hit them but her senses were screaming at her to move away as fast as possible.

With a howl that could rival beowolves the figure exploded in a mass of spike tendrils shooting outwards into every direction. They tore into the ground, ripped through trees and smashed into stone, destroying everything around it with extreme prejudice.

Then, as quickly as it had started, it was over.

\\-/

"If I may speak freely sir?" Winter drew Ironwood's attention to the cockpit where she was seated. Ironwood gave a nod to the young woman, he respected her opinion after all. "Do you think he's ready for this? I mean no disrespect but he still has yet to beat me during our training sessions. What if he runs into a trained aura user?" She sounded almost worried but Ironwood knew that was more for his secret than the child's safety.

"Well if you're asking me if Jaune can handle someone with aura then no, I don't believe Jaune could." He said bluntly, Jaune was simply too gentle a soul to fight another person to the death. "But that isn't who we sent, and it wasn't who was demanding to be sent either." The explanation made little sense but James knew more about Jaune and his "Grande Protector" Whitback than anyone on remnant.

"Do you remember his voice when he asked us?" James could hear it in his head, the way it resonated with itself sent chills down his spine. "Of course sir. It echoed itself in a way I hadn't heard before. I assumed he was trying to sound tough." James had to chuckle at her response, she wasn't fond of the boy but at least she didn't outwardly show it.

"No, Thankfully he is not that aggressive. What you heard was the Grimm inside him." James explained while remembering the first time he heard Jaune use that voice. He had noticed Jaune's hesitation to kill immediately change whenever his voice did.

"So the grimm controls him?" caution entered her voice "Wouldn't that mean he is a threat to humanity?" James couldn't blame her for the line of thinking, even he planned on having Jaune killed during the first year of his residence.

"Well that's where the line blurs. I don't believe the grimm has full control over Jaune but there is no definite way to check." Winter looked uneasy, as if unsure how to react to the information. He was basically saying he didn't know if they were working with a tortured child or an unstable monster.

"To answer your question, yes. Jaune is a threat to mankind." Ironwood knew what he was dealing with, knew how it could grow itself by devouring humans whole. "But Jaune and even the being inside him have shown a willingness to work with us. We can't attempt to dispose of such a powerful ally and risk turning him into enemy."

"I hope you're correct sir." Winter said with the defeated sigh of a person stuck between a rock and hard place. "Do you think we should contact him? He's taking a lot longer than normal to call in." Winter suggested after another extended silence.

James thought about it for a moment, It wasn't like Jaune (or perhaps Whitback) to take their time. "We don't want to distract him if he is still sneaking around, but it's been long much longer than normal…" He scratched his chin, debating the cons for a moment.

"I suppose Whitback would prevent distractions. Go ahead." James said with a nod and Winter tapped at her scroll until it was attempting a connection with the transponder in Jaune's suit.

Silence.

"No answer."

"What?!" James failed to keep the shock from his voice, Jaune had never ignored a call, not once. His suit could have been damaged but that meant that Whitback let something hit Jaune hard enough to damage steel. Several attempts at sparring told him that Whitback would not let this happen unless something went seriously wrong. He had expected Jaune might get injured but nothing that Whitback couldn't brush off. This was the first time the hybrid went completely dark.

"Head to the facility, full speed." Winter was already rotating the bullhead as James spoke, taking off in the direction they had dropped Jaune in. Had Jaune been captured? or could he have abandon their cause? The latter thought should have scared James more but he couldn't think Jaune capable of treason.

Even if he hesitated to kill White Fang James couldn't see Jaune suddenly forgiving them and joining their side over his. The boy still suffered occasional flashbacks and refused to even set foot in a train, there was no way he would work with those terrorists.

The speed of the bullhead brought them to the building in minutes and Ironwood disembarked before Winter could finish setting the Bullhead down. He had his revolver in hand but looking around he could see no sign of life, nor could he sense anything nearby.

James quickly noticed the collapsed entrance to the building and a large hole a few meters to its left. Both were clear signs that Jaune did not remain unseen but the lack of blood and suggested it happened after the majority of the guards were already dead. He glanced back to make sure Winter was following before-

 **CRASH**

James spun towards the noise, revolver cocked and ready but nothing was there, no explosion, fire or smoke. "What on earth was that?" Winter muttered with her saber drawn and glyphs ready.

"I'm not sure. but I've got a hunch."

 **I'm still feeling the headaches and got a killer cough so please please let me know if I made some silly mistake that I didn't catch in my double check. I tried to make the fight realistic with how i thought Blake and Adam would fight as a pair. I also tried to avoid Whitback being too op, not sure how i did since i do think of it as being much stronger than even a hunter, but i mean that as purely physical strength. We all know that isn't how hunters normally win fights, our little rose teaches us that better than most. I also introduced Qrow! hopefully i did that snarky heart o gold some justice, i am very open to suggestions for improvement. Similiarly with Winter, I thought she probably wouldnt really trust her fathers half grimm creation but i would think she would do what was best for the Atlas military and Ironwood. again, suggestions are always welcome as I miss and forget things often enough.**

 **Sm0keyPanda I would also agree with you're thoughts on Jaune, I tried to explain a bit more about whitback and show him as having a bit more emotion than ealier. Basically I'm going for something of a "give a little take a little" with their personalities. Jaune being a bit more apathatic to humans and Whitback being more prideful while both have anger stemming from trauma Jaune experienced. Though i think at this point Jaune is more unsure what else to do, he had no other goals in his mind at the moment of "destiny". Thank you for the support ! hope i did the fight well.**

 **Artjom435 I am ashamed to admit i had to look up lancaster (I don't know many if any) but you were correct to assume someone from patch would show up! and I am still thinking of how the fight will go so our little rose may show up yet. You know I wasn't going for anything specific when i thought of the plates but I almost definitely got it the idea from crysis as I have played all of them XD. I got a odd memory sometimes. I also tried to explain a bit more about why Jaune seemingly has no aura. I knew right away i wanted it that way as to make Jaune a bit more vulnerable and Whitback a bit less desirable. Jaune's personality is fully intact as well! Jaune usually handles the body but when they want, Whitback can assist Jaune (making there voices lap over eachother giving the resonance effect) like they do in order to kill without the pause a normal person has. I also would like to say I'm not planning on killing anyone from the beacon squad! (least not yet... muhahahaha!) but that isn't to say I'm above killing characters that are in the show. No probs for the mention, I value criticism and feedback more than anything! This is my practicing to maybe write a book one day!**

 **CabooseRvB343 (so it turns out the fanfiction editor I add comments in doesn't like the . in your name, no idea why.) Hope I made it entertaining for ya! Whitback got all of Jaune's memories as its own so he is real proud of itself for finding them and will not let them go easily. I do plan on Jaune having his own moment of revenge at some point, depending how this fight ends will decide if its real soon or just something that can't be forgotten. Thanks for the review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hope you all enjoy the latest Chapter!**

Chapter 9

Whitback stood at the center of a mass of tendrils that webbed outwards around the forest, whatever wasn't completely destroyed by his attack was now covered in the black veined material. It designed the attack to cover as wide of an area as possible, hoping to have killed or at least seriously injured its prey.

" **The chances of all of you surviving that were minimal at best."** Whitback couldn't believe it failed to dispose of a single target with that attack, it may have been impossible to precisely aim it but its devastation was undeniable.

"Maybe you're just unlucky?" Qrow drew whitbacks attention, was he really mocking it? The grin of his face suggested he did not think very much of the attack. " **You… are different from them."** Whitback motioned to the nearby faunus, one of which was knocked unconscious from the impact while the other struggled to stand.

"Well, I do have a big scythe." He replied without missing a beat, giving a careless shrug and spinning his weapon around as if to prove his point. " **Yes, I suppose you do"** Whitback hesitated for a moment, it just released out a lot of biomass and didn't want to lose more by attacking recklessly.

Qrow flew towards Whitback suddenly, his scythe spinning and slashing its way through the web of material with ease. Whitback, now with minimal material, acted quickly and withdrew its body from the armor and weapons to strengthen them further, giving a pure white appearance.

The impact that hit Whitback's shield a moment later shook Jaune's body within the armor, causing Whitback to lash out with its blade only for it to be deflected by the massive spinning scythe. The scythe bit into the armor a second later and sent Whitback a few feet away with a loud thud.

"Damn you're heavy, been eating too much?" The man looked at his scythe thoughtfully, he seemed bored more than anything. Whitback let out a furious growl while jumping to its feet. This was not supposed to be happening, even James's specialists failed to hit so much force.

Whitback wouldn't wait this time, lunging in for the attack and attempting to skewer the arrogant bastard. That earned a scoff and a smashed head as the back of the scythe contacted its helmet, cracking the white material.

Qrow didn't let up, spinning around he came with a combination of attacks that Whitback struggled to block. The rapid succession of attacks forced Whitback to put more material into its shield, weakening the armor as its body spread into it to move said material.

Suddenly Qrow shifted his attack and sent the back of the blade to Whitback's stomach with a loud crack before spinning once more and sending him directly downwards. The armor shattered with a crash, sending splinters of bone-like material everywhere.

"A kid?" Qrow sounded confused but Whitback wasn't listening, it needed to think of something quickly to protect Jaune. "You awake kid? Cause I'm gonna need some answers." Whitback remained silent, choosing instead to prepare material underneath Jaune and wait for the hunter to get closer.

Qrow took another step, leaning down to flip the kid over, he didn't expect a deathly white hand to come from underneath the unmoving body and grab him. "The he-!?" He tried to jumped backwards but Whitback already had ahold of him and refused to budge.

He slashed at the black veined arm instinctively, attempting to severe the material but tendrils suddenly sprung from the child's body at the same moment. At such a close range and with a steeled grip keeping him from jumping away, Qrow began to feel the pressure.

Whitback focused on wrapping around whatever limb it could get to and tightening to restrict movement. It was surprised by the human's strength as he continued to struggle but Whitback just pushed more material as thousands needles began to work away his aura.

"Jaune That's enough!" Ironwood's voice bellowed forth, causing Whitback to freeze suddenly while its victim to let out a confused "Huh…?".

"Put him down" Whitback hesitated for a second before relenting, Qrow had only tried to stop Whitback, not kill Jaune. Perhaps it overreacted but it was only following the "no witnesses" order.

" **Jaune's unconscious, the White Fang had a powerful semblance on their side."** Whitback explained while withdrawing its material from Qrow and the surrounding area. Jaune's body twitched slightly before standing up a bit unsteadily, still recovering from Qrow's attack.

"Ironwood!? you can't be serious!" Qrow reverted his scythe into its sword form but didn't sheath it. "What the hell is this?!" Whitback would have listened further but got distracted by the notable lack of faunus. " **James! I'm going after those White Fang."** Whitback yelled out, interrupting the arguing men.

"Whitback stop! The mission is already failed, it's time to retreat." Ironwood's voice left little room for argument.

"You don't say? You sure you don't want to let your pet directly into the city?!" Qrow added, clearly furious with Ironwood's secret.

" **They were the ones to burned his family…"** Whitback muttered more to himself, ignoring the bickering men. Jaune still suffered from that fateful day, and Whitback couldn't let the cause of such pain escape without retribution. **Jaune? I know you're still a bit sore but it's time to wake up.**

 **\\-/**

" **W-what…?"** Jaune had trouble thinking straight at first, like waking up suddenly from a unexpected nap. **I found them. The voices that left you to burn.** Jaune went rigid, the smell of smoke already filling his nostrils as the memories began flashing across his mind.

" **...You what?"** His voice was barely above a whisper, he must have misheard Whitback. **The ones that took your family.** Jaune could see them now, scattered around the burning building. A blank look in his mother's remaining eye, charred flesh covering the rest of her face.

" **Where…"** The word was strained, not a question but a demand. **I can follow their scent, they've fled but I've exhausted them. They can't be far.** Jaune took a shaky breath, trying to ignore the smoke that choked his lungs and the fire that burned his eyes. " **Lead me to them…"**

" _ **They won't escape!"**_ Whitback hastily wrapped a thin layer of material around Jaune and sharpened the fingertips for better traction. With little wind up Jaune bolted forward, letting Whitback weave around the trees while he focused on going faster allowed them to leave both Ironwood and Qrow far behind.

It didn't take long for Whitback and Jaune to sense aura but they were surprised to find only a single one standing on the edge of a town. " _ **Cowards!"**_ Jaune roared, the innocents would surely get caught in the collateral if Whitback went all out inside a city.

They landed in front of the cat faunus who remained just outside the town. Why didn't she attempt to hide like the other? Jaune shook the thought and extended his arm while Whitback created a jagged blade in his hand.

" _ **Why do you remain? Why not follow your cowardly partner into the city? It would be far more difficult to hunt you if others got involved."**_ The faunus glared at them, clearly displeased with the question.

"They have nothing to do with this. I won't run from you if it means innocent people will get hurt!" The emotion in her voice drove a spike in Jaune's mind, she had to be lying! " _ **Liar! You let an entire family die without turning back!"**_ Jaune tore off his helmet and glared at the young teenager.

" _ **You left me to burn."**_ He hissed while readying his blade to take her head off, with low aura it wouldn't be too difficult. She looked confused for a second before the light of recognition flashed in her eyes "At the train station… You were apart of that family…"

" _ **Yes… I was."**_ He looked downward, the lump in his throat refusing to budge. " _ **The last words I heard were "For the WhiteFang"... before you friend blew my family to PIECES!"**_ He lunged forward suddenly, planning to skewer and devour the girl alive.

But she just leaned back and let her weapons fall to the side, a mournful expression on her face twisting Jaune's gut. His blade smashed into the dirt at her feet, Jaune having dropped it he to grab her by the collar.

" _ **WHY!?"**_ He couldn't stop tears from falling, though he barely noticed them as he shook the girl. " _ **Why were they taken from me…?"**_ He needed to know the reason why someone had to take them away. Why he was left alone.

\\-/

Blake couldn't look away from the face of a person no older than her, begging for an answer she knew wouldn't make him feel better.

"He lost his wife." She spoke quietly and looked away "She died inside the Schnee mines, a common occurrence but that only drove him further into despair." She paused for a moment to steady her breathing.

"He decided to get revenge… I tried to stop him but…" She could remember hearing about it from Adam, that his father decided to sacrifice himself "for the cause" and force the SDC to listen.

"...But I was too slow." She felt herself shake, she remembered seeing the corpses of the boys family, trying to convince Adam to help but in the end choosing to run away. Like she always did.

The armored boy let her go and dropped to the ground with a dull thud. " _ **The Schnee's caused it…?"**_ The boy sounded in shock, as if unable to process what she told him. "I-I'm sorry…" She wasn't sure what else to say, he looked so… defeated.

" _ **-ave…"**_ He mumbled something under his breath so softly Blake wasn't sure she heard him properly. "What?" She asked and jumped back when the boy stood and yelled at her to " _ **Leave!"**_.

Without thinking she turned around began running, the emotion in his voice driving more guilt into her heart with each passing step until she was finally some distance away. She had to find a way to make things right but it seemed the further the White Fang went the further the SDC would go to stop them.

Sienna was leading the White Fang down a path that was creating more violence and Adam seemed all too happy to follow her. He didn't even hesitate to use the city as a hiding place from a gruesome foe, he probably already stole a bullhead to report back to Sienna.

She couldn't be apart of that any longer, not after seeing the consequences of the White Fangs violent attacks. She wanted to stop injustice, not get revenge. She would find the right path, even if it meant abandoning the White Fang.

\\-/

Jaune wasn't sure how long he had been wandering the streets but the world around him seemed so warped. So wrong. Jacques' company had created the White Fang due to cruel working conditions which could be lethal at times. In return the White Fang attacked an SDC who created Jaune that attacked the White Fang. It was all just some kind of warped circle.

 **Please answer me Jaune. We need a plan.** Was there even plan to have? Jaune had wanted revenge but now? Now he just felt tired. **Do you want to hunt down Adam? we should find Ironwood to help with that.**

" **I… I can't."** It felt wrong after what Blake had revealed, he would only bring more faunus to rise against atlas. How many had already joined the White Fang because they heard rumors of Faunus disappearing amidst the White Fang ranks.

The faunus he had devoured and left no trace of, they would always have a family to notice their absence. An absence he understood at a core level.

 **Then. What do we do?** Jaune didn't know how to answer, he had tried to help by stopping the White Fang but that left a bad taste in his mouth now. " **We killed a lot of people… didn't we Whitback?"** The idea was surreal, almost like it all happened in a dream.

 **Yes. We couldn't risk survivors coming back for us. We can't risk the same mistake as our en-... previous enemies.** Jaune could understand that, but it didn't help the feeling he got while thinking about it.

"Are you alright?" A high pitched voice caused Jaune to spin around in surprise, he hadn't really planned on someone finding him. He saw a young girl through the thin membrane that Whitback covered his body with. The girl jumped back with a yelp, clearly not expecting his face to be covered

 **Your armor is thin to the point of clothing Jaune, and this person has an aura.** Whitback stated and Jaune could feel it begin pushing its body outwards to defend. The girl in turn reached behind her back, a nervous expression on her face as she saw blackened veins crawl outward from his stomach.

" **Wait!"** Jaune called out but the girl pulled free a weapon from beneath her red cloak, he realised too late his voice probably didn't inspire confidence. " **Whitback, I said wait! We look terrifying!"** He yelled at Whitback while backing away slowly with his hands up.

"...Who's Whitback?" She asked slowly while aiming a rifle-like weapon at him. " **Oh, well that's what I call the grimm living inside me- wow that sounds weird huh?"** Jaune hadn't really thought before speaking, still unsure if the girl would shoot him or not his mind was running in circles.

"Yea kinda. Aren't grimm supposed to be bad and attack everything?" Jaune scratched his head at the question, were they? They had never seemed to bother him, they usually ran away rather than attack him.

" **I don't know about that but Whitback protects me, he just gets carried away sometimes."** As if in response, Whitback spread through and moved the material from his face while mimicking the girls cloak as to still remain ready but appear less threatening.

 **Now tell her to lower her weapon, else I'm putting the armor back on.** Jaune nodded and relayed the message a bit friendlier. " **I promise not to hurt anyone. Can you stop aiming at me please?"**

She lowered it quickly as if she had forgotten it was raised, her eyes transfixed on his "cloak". "How'd you do that? Is that black and white stuff your semblance?" She sounded a bit nervous but there was curiosity underlining it.

" **That's Whitback, I don't have a semblance."** Jaune shrugged, it never bothered him before. "Oh…" She said quietly, neither sure what to do as an awkward silence settled on the pair.

"Y-you didn't answer my first question though." She said suddenly, remembering the reason she stopped the boy to begin with. "I asked if you're alright?" She asked innocently, she didn't like seeing other people so sad, even if they had grimm living inside them making their eyes glow red.

" **I-"** He felt his mouth close, he didn't feel alright. He felt powerless, exhausted and stupid. He had killed so many trying to wipe out a group that had every right to be angry and it was making him feel sick.

" **I don't want to kill anyone… But I can't just sit back and watch people get hurt…"** He wiped away his tears quickly, trying to hide them from the strange girl but more kept coming. " **What can I do…?"** He tried to say more but his throat felt so tight he had trouble just breathing steadily.

"H-hey don't cry." she said quietly, putting her gun away and approaching slowly. "I don't know who you killed…" she wrung her hands together, unsure if she should be scared or sympathetic. "But I know you don't have to sit back while people get hurt." She nodded her head more resolutely then she felt.

"I wanted to be a hero! Just like the fairy tales, so I'm becoming a huntress." She smiled and extended a hand. "If you become a hunter I'm sure you can protect lots of people from being hurt." His heart skipped a beat and for a moment he stared at her extended hand.

He slowly reached for her hand, the idea was appealing to say the least. Never did he think of becoming a hunter but the idea had flaws. **Huntsmen are charged with fighting the creatures of grimm. I will assist if that's what you want Jaune but I am irreversibly intertwined into your DNA. You will always carry a piece of grimm inside you.**

" **I'm part grimm, Even if I wanted to I doubt a human school would let me in."** It stung to think how most people would think of him, making him back away from the young girl. " **I don't belong here. This is a human city."** He wasn't human anymore but he had no reason to be among humans.

"nope."

" **Nope…?"** He looked up at her, confused.

"Nope, you're wrong. You promised not to hurt anyone, so you can stay here if you want." She offered with a kind smile "If you want to be a huntsmen you just have to fight for good! doesn't matter what's inside.

 **What is good? I thought we were already doing that.** Whitback didn't sound very convinced but Jaune couldn't help but mirror the girl's positive smile. " **We fought for ourselves Whitback, we fought for revenge."** He turned his attention back to the girl in red. " **I would like to try… fighting for good."**

 **Someone's coming Jaune, someone with an aura.** Jaune immediately thought of his failed mission and what Ironwood might do if he found him. Jaune had never let a witness get away, would James even let him go out again after such a failure?

" **I have to go."** He couldn't risk being locked away now that he knew what he wanted to do! the girl frowned slightly but gave a nod "If you have to. It was nice meeting you, I'm ruby by the way" She scratched the back of her head with a smile "I hope we meet again someday!"

" **Nice meeting you too, I'm Jaune"** He returned the smile and gave a wave while turning to run. " **And thanks"** She helped him, a monsterous looking stranger, for no other reason than to do good. He wanted to do that for someone. He didn't want to hurt people anymore.

 **I will do my best to assist you in "Fighting for good".**

\~/

 **So this chapter i've introduced Ruby and i truly hope I did her innocence** **justice. I hope I did Jaune good as well, he is a damaged at this point but still clings to his humanity, just needed a little push in the right direction. I plan to show more about Ozpin's reaction next chapter as well as how he will deal with James keeping Jaune a secret for so long. I can't wait to hear from you all! hope you all have a wonderful morning/evening.**

 **Hope I did Qrow well Sm0keyPanda! nailing the snark was a bit difficult but i think i did well, let me know if you think otherwise! I like fleshing my characters out more.**

 **Thanks for the review Artjom435! Glad you enjoyed it and I really hope I did this one just as well! I focused more on Qrow and Ironwood but by the end of it found a way to have Ruby come in naturally (I hope). Let me know what you think! thanks again for the feedback.  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry for the wait, hope I made it worth it!**

Chapter 10

Jaune stood at the edge of the beach, staring out across the vast body of water and wondering how far out it kept going. **You forgot we were on an island?** Whitback sounded a bit confused and Jaune frowned slightly.

" **No, I didn't forget we were on an island…"** He crossed his arms and started pacing back and forth on the beach. Of course he didn't forget he was on an island, what kind of idiot could forget that?

… **You forgot we can't swim?**

" **..."** Jaune's frown deepened but he remained silent. He had planned on making his way inland while searching for people that might need help. He didn't want to risk James finding and locking him away like he had for the majority of the past six years.

 **We don't have many options, we should contact James for assistance.** Whitback was blunt in his analysis, they couldn't fly a bullhead and there body composition was far too dense for swimming. They would sink like a rock.

" **But we failed… We were barely allowed outside before, how often do you think he'll let us out now?"** Jaune didn't like to complain since James had been so kind to them, but he rarely let them outside aside from the handful of missions. It made Jaune feel more like a caged animal than an actual person, like he was thought of as a monster.

 **As often as you wish. Your Grande Protector guarantees your freedom, none shall hold us captive.** Whitback left no room for argument, if Jaune asked to be let outside then it would find a way outside with or without Ironwood's permission.

" **What if he doesn't let us? Will you fight him?"** Jaune didn't want that, James had showed kindness to him while Whitback just wanted to protect Jaune. Neither deserved injury or death at the hands of the other. " **No. We're supposed to be fighting for good, not ourselves."**

 **James always said we fought for the good of mankind, why not try making a deal and continuing to fight for him?** Whitback was trying to wrap its mind around what Jaune thought "good" was and why he wanted to fight for it. Why had ridding the world of White Fang terrorist not been "fighting for good"?

" **Besides not knowing how he'll react to this failure? Well you heard what that faunus said… It's like the faunus are excluded from mankind for some reason."** Jaune had trouble believing they could be treated as badly as that girl said but she looked so heartbroken. Maybe she was lying but he didn't think so.

 **Why fight for the ones that took so much from you?** Whitback was still struggling to understand how Jaune could not only forgive them, but go so far as to defend them. It had remained silent when he let the cat faunus live but that didn't mean it understood or even agreed with the choice.

" **The same reason I fought against them. I don't want anyone to lose what I did. No one deserves that."** The actions of one man cost Jaune his family, while Jaune's actions cost hundreds of faunus their lives. hundreds of people that wouldn't be going home to their families.

 **To confirm, you wish to fight for the good of human and faunus life?** Whitback's voice sounded neutral with a hint of curiosity. **And you don't know if that's Ironwood's goal?** Whitback never really liked the man but knew he was a powerful ally to have.

" **Exactly"** Jaune replied with a smile " **James was nice but he didn't let us do anything. Do you think we can get off this island without his help?"** They couldn't do much good while trapped there, that town already had Ruby fighting for it and Jaune was almost positive James would find him quickly in such a small area.

Whitback was silent for a moment while debating its options, on the one hand they might be able to sneak aboard a bullhead in the city but that carried its own risks. It had another option available to it, though it wasn't sure how Jaune might react to it. **How happy are you with the changes done to your body?**

Jaune wasn't expecting the question but immediately replied with nonchalant " **Yea, of course"**. Whitback had made him stronger, faster and even able to see in the dark and that was excluding what it did to protect Jaune with it's own body. " **Why do you ask?"**

 **The changes I have done are more akin to modifications than full transformation. After the fear you showed upon waking to my changes in Jaques' lab, I chose to maintain as much of your human body as possible.**

Jaune wasn't sure how he felt about that, Should he be happy he still had a "mostly" human body? He had long since forgotten the fear he first felt after being injected, the pain maybe not but he didn't think to fear Whitback

 **To get off this island we can either risk being found by Ironwood and sneak aboard a bullhead.** Jaune frowned, the thought of facing the man now after everything made his stomach twist. James already disliked letting Jaune outside for fear of exposing his grimm side and now that he was proven right there was no telling when Jaune would be let out again.

 **Or, I can strip your body of the last of its humanity. Allowing you to survive the depths of the ocean and leave this island on your own two feet.** Jaune scratched the back of his head, if he was being honest he didn't really know what Whitback meant by "stripping the body of humanity" but the idea didn't scare him like facing James did.

" **Will that make me act differently? What do you mean my humanity?"** Jaune was confused but not put off by the idea. He had already been called monster by anyone who saw his face and his eyes. Even Ironwood had flinched from him for the first few months and Winter still avoided his eyes most of the time.

 **Your grey matter is already apart of my body, it's how I experienced your memories and how I communicate directly to your mind. What I'm suggesting won't change your mind, only your flesh.** Whitback explained clearly, hoping Jaune understood what it was suggestion.

" **I don't understand, my skin already looks different from other people."** Jaune didn't resent his looks, on the contrary he had come to enjoy his unique features. It almost made him feel like he had a semblance, his special power that no one else had.

 **All I have done is replace your blood and muscle with my own body, giving your veins a blackened appearance and allowing me to make modifications and repairs at a cellular level. I've not absorbed and recreated your body in a new way as I am now suggestion.**

Jaune knew he should be thinking very carefully, Whitback was grimm after all and James said the grimm were the true enemy of human and faunus alike. The only problem Jaune had with that theory was Whitback had only ever acted to protect Jaune and itself. Even if it got carried away sometimes it still just wanted to live and learn alongside Jaune.

" **I trust you."** He answered honestly with a smile, satisfied with Whitback's explanation. " **Now what do you need me to do to get off this island?"** Whitback felt a new sense of pride blossom and responded with a heartfelt **Thank you.** attempting to return the same kindness it was shown.

 **First things first, we need to go fishing.**

 **\\-/**

Ozpin's office was a clockwork marvel to stand within, the spinning gears both above and below giving a distinct feeling of grandeur. Ozpin himself sat calmly at his desk with a tired looking Qrow to his left. James stood with his arms linked behind his back in front of the trio while Winter waited outside, a slight frown was his only notable expression.

"I do not regret taking the child under my protection. He was far too dangerous to leave alone." James' voice was unapologetic, sure of his actions and intentions. Qrow had already explained the situation, relaying what James had told him about the hybrid during their bullhead ride to beacon.

"Of course you don't, how many White Fang did he kill for you?" Qrow had been nothing but hostile, seeing no sense in keeping the hybrid a secret from Ozpin. "Did you ever think that you shouldn't force a child commit genocide on your behalf!?"

"I never forced anyone! Jaune was the one who wanted to fight the White Fang and the grimm inside him would have helped him achieve that with or without me!" James shot back with a glare, having enough of Qrow's verbal assault. "At least while in my custody I could direct and limit the damage he caused. White Fang disappearing caused far less panic than a human like grimm ripping them apart in public!"

"Enough!" Ozpin raised his voice only enough to be heard clearly, silencing Qrow with a side glance before turning his attention back to Ironwood. "I am not questioning your morals, I may not agree with your actions but I do believe you made them to protect innocent lives."

"I am confused about why you kept it a secret from us." James couldn't sense any anger in Oz's voice and felt a touch of relief that he hadn't angered one of his more trusted if not only friend.

"I am sorry Ozpin. I admit I would still prefer it if you had never found out about Jaune, I fully believed that you would seek the grimm's destruction." Ozpin raised an eyebrow, confusion written on his face.

"You don't believe it should be?"Ozpin would argue that James was the more destructive member of their group and yet he did not seek to rid them of this grimm? "You're usually the first to display the might of mankind. Why is this grimm different? aside from inhabiting a human host."

"It has shown no resentment towards mankind, at worse being indifferent towards humans suffering. The only time we have seen it act with malice is when either its host was in danger or when a large amount of negativity is produced. Even in those situations Jaune has shown that he can prevent these frenzies with willpower and practice."

Ozpin looked thoughtful while contemplating James' explanation. "You believe it would fight for mankind?" He guessed the conclusion easily enough, using the enemies weapon against them made perfect sense. The only problem is this grimm human hybrid sounded very similar to the queen of grimm.

"I see your point, but are you not worried about creating a second Salem? A "King" of grimm if you will." Ozpin had revealed her existence to James long ago, he must have recognized her description when he saw what Qrow described as a "Grimm-eyed human with blackened veins and deathly white skin.".

"I considered that possibility and even had plans to eliminate him if he betrayed us but none of them have been needed. His actions, while sometimes overly apathetic, resembled a child lashing out at the ones who hurt him."

"Is that why he ran off despite your orders?" James didn't know how to respond to that, this was the first instance of flat out disobedience Jaune had ever committed and it wasn't even Jaune. Whitback said Jaune was unconscious before Qrow had distracted him, the next thing he knew Whitback had disappeared into the forest while ignoring a direct order.

"I did not expect him to ignore my orders, but the circumstances had already placed a tremendous amount of stress on Jaune and, in turn, on the grimm." James had only heard bits of what Jaune was muttering but it was sounded like he was remembering his family. "I believe the White Fang he chose to chase after were directly involved with his family's death."

Ozpin let out a sigh, unsure what to make of the boys actions. Vengeance was what caused Salem to fall, could the child really be stronger willed then her? "Qrow, your niece claimed to have spoke with Jaune correct?"

"Yea that's right, I didn't have a chance to talk much with her before I was on my way here." Qrow scratched at his stubble, he had left her with her dad before coming to beacon and neglected to question her properly.

"Could you call her?" Ozpin asked Qrow politely. "I would like to asked her what they talked about. I can't imagine a grimm would have much to say to a child, perhaps we can help prove Jaune has retained his humanity." Ozpin didn't like the idea of letting such a dangerous grimm live but neither did he wish to injury or kill an innocent child.

Qrow quickly obliged, calling Ruby on his scroll and offering a smile when she answered with her usual positivity. "Uncle Qrow!" Ruby let out a gleefully "Did you forget something? Do you need me to come to beacon!"

Qrow let out a chuckle, he could never understand how she had so much energy. "Calm down firecracker, You'll be in beacon before you know it. I just wanted to ask about that weird kid you saw last night. Did he say or do anything… strange?"

"Well… Everything I guess? His voice sounded so rough and angry but I don't think he meant it too." Ruby scratched at her head awkwardly, she wasn't sure what her uncle meant by "strange".

"Did he sound like he wanted to hurt you? Or like he was mad at anyone?" Qrow pressed further and Ruby did her best to recollect the memories, starting with how the boy cried about killing and ending with his words to fight for good.

"Thanks kido, I'll be back in time for sparring tomorrow." Qrow smiled and waved farewell before ending the call and turning to Ozpin. "What do you think? He doesn't sound dangerous but there's always the chance he's lying."

"Possibly but I won't harm a child on mere suspicion." Ozpin wanted to save as many lives as possible, if Jaune proved to be a threat he must be eliminated. But if he refused to fight, or even chooses fights for the good of mankind then Ozpin would gladly accept another ally in the fight against evil.

"I believe the best course of action is to simply observe and clarify Jaune's intentions. If he proves his words to Ruby then we will offer him sanctuary and training, do you think you can keep and eye on him Qrow?" Oz looked to his trusted confidant, knowing what the man would say but still offering the choice as a courtesy.

"Sure thing Oz." Qrow gave a nod "Shouldn't be too hard to find him. I'll make sure he doesn't hurt anyone if things get out of hand." Ozpin returned the nod gratefully, Qrow was one of his most skilled huntsmen and had the best chance of stopping Jaune and the grimm if they went wild.

Ozpin turned his attention back to James. "I trust you have something planned if the hybrid becomes a threat?" James confirmed with a nod, weapons had already been developed in case Whitback needed to be put down. He may not have liked the thought but that didn't stop him from planning for it.

"Then I believe that concludes our business" Ozpin grabbed his untouched coffee mug from the desk and took a sip. "Let us hope that before long, we'll have a new ally." He truly wished Jaune would avoid the dark path Salem had taken. He was so tired of all the innocent casualties.

\~/

 **It's been a tiring week, these winter days really get to me but I'm happy to meet my deadline of min once a week! I hope my greyish mood doesn't reflect here. This chapter is mainly attempting to explain Jaune's actions and how James/Qrow and Ozpin are reacting to them. I really hope I didn't make Jaune's and Whitbacks body too confusing, The fishing thing is literal. Whitback needs some aquatic life, grimm or not, to learn how to breath underwater as they can't swim effectively. The keeping his humanity was Whitback trying to keep as many of Jaune's original organs and bones as possible but that is being abandoned now in favor of Whitbacks far more efficient and pressure resistant body. Lemme know if you have any questions and also how i did Ozpin! I hope I didn't make him too apathetic or villainy or anything weird like that. Dude gives me a weird vibe sometimes.**

 **Sm0keyPanda glad to hear you liked my Qrow and Ruby! hopfully i'm keeping it up. I'll hopefully be at beacon either at the end of the next chapter or perhaps the one after that depending how things go. Thanks for Reviewing!**

 **Artjom435 hope i didn't disappoint you with this latest chapter, while I agree with you I also believe Jaune would have a fear of punishment with how little he was allowed outside the (admittedly cozy) room he was kept in. By no means am i scrapping the relationship, Jaune is just going through a bit of "running away from home" rebellion. Thanks for such detailed feedback! hope to hear more**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hope you're enjoying Grimm choices, let me know what you think!**

Chapter 11

It had been quite the night for James. First Jaune had failed in his mission, which on its own wasn't a big deal but then he was discovered by Qrow of all people before running off despite his order to hold. Worst of all he now had to prepare for the risk that Whitback had been controlling Jaune this entire time and chose now to betray them.

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking." Winter's voice snapped James back to the bullhead they both sat within as it took them away from Beacon towards Atlas. "Why aren't we hunting Jaune and Whitback? If they have betrayed us wouldn't they be a far bigger threat than any average Grimm?" She was confused how they could just fly back to Atlas without securing such a great threat to humanity's security.

Winter wasn't apart of Ozpin's group and as such James couldn't tell her anything about his meeting with Ozpin but she was already privy to Whitback's existence. He couldn't tell her nothing and expect her to feel satisfied, that would only risk breeding dissent.

"You're correct, Whitback is a far bigger threat than any grimm we have ever faced before." He wouldn't deny it, even Ozpin warned of creating a second ruler for the grimm not unlike the legendary Salem he had only heard tales about. "But Jaune is not some malicious criminal, I doubt he could kill even the worst of the White Fang without Whitback helping him. He is too gentle a soul."

"Doesn't that prove how much Whitback controls him? What if what we think is Jaune is really just Whitback using Jaune's memories to trick us?" That very same question gave James many sleepless nights. What if Jaune was killed at Jacques' facility and the grimm was just waiting for the perfect moment to do the most damage against the humans the rest of its kind slaughtered so carelessly.

"That's exactly why we have weapons specifically made for Whitback's unique physiology. There is simply no way to be positive if it is really on our side." James crossed his arms "That being said after spending such a long time with him I can't see Jaune as anything other than human." He practically raised the child for the past six years, if the grimm had already taken full control it was doing a damn good job of hiding it.

"Even then, should we not attempt to bring him back? Jaune could still be a risk with too much negativity." Winter didn't like the thought of Jaune or Whitback losing control in a crowded area. The loss of life on its own would be tragic but the fear it would bring could draw far more problems.

"Someone is already handling it." He didn't like it but James knew Qrow wouldn't fail, a rude, scruffy drunkard he might be but Qrow was still the best huntsmen James ever met. If anyone could keep Jaune out of trouble it would be him. "All we need to do is prepare our viral-grimm countermeasures and hope Jaune makes the right choice."

"With all due respect sir, you don't look very happy about that." Winter was always preceptive, though not usual so forward with her superiors. James didn't mind though since they were the only ones in the bullhead aside from the pilot in the cockpit.

"I am not." He admitted with a sigh, he always had trouble leaving problems to other people. It wasn't that he didn't trust Ozpin or even Qrow for that matter, James just didn't trust problems to not explode in people's faces. "Keep an ear out in Vale if you would, make a note of any rumors that have to do with new kinds of grimm and report them to me."

If he couldn't help find Jaune he would at least keep track of the public's knowledge of him, he might be able to notice panic rising before it happens. And just maybe he would hear about the people Jaune helped, wouldn't that be something.

"Of course sir, I'll get in touch with some of our contacts in Vale."

\\-/

" **So we can breath underwater now?"** Jaune still couldn't believe they had just walked across the ocean floor while he looked back at the restless waves. It was a comparatively small distance when looking at a map but it still took them an entire day to make the journey. **I thought I clarified everything during the trek? Or were you too distracted by the leviathans that were inspecting us?**

" **Hey, that thing was massive! Could've eaten us in a single bite with plenty of room to spare."** They weren't able to see so deep underwater but Whitback's advanced sense of hearing and touch "learnt" from the unique deep-sea grimm allowed them to experience everything first hand. **And if it did I would've eaten it from the inside.**

" **...Why can't I absorb and learn about things like you can? Like what you did with the fish you caught."** Jaune changed the subject, thinking about how Whitback had said Jaune's brain was apart of its own body. Shouldn't that mean he could control it like Whitback did? Tendrils and all?

 **You should be able to but I admit My knowledge is as limited as yours in this respect, even James knew very little about us. My best guess is that your mind is having a bit of trouble adjusting to its new body and is only accepting information that it finds familiar.**

Jaune looked down at his pearly white hands, the white material wrapped thinly around his new flesh like a glove. Since Whitback fully absorbed his body Jaune had noticed far more black veins wrapping around his bare body underneath the white material, presumably to allow for the same ease of movement normal skin offered.

 **Dont worry too much about things we can't change, we should focus on our current goal.** Jaune shook his head, Whitback was right; they shouldn't be standing around wasting time. " **Of course… But where are we?"** He had no idea where they were, only that the buildings around them looked to be a bit run down.

 **From the maps I remember we should be on the closest shore in Vale to Patch, which is in Vale's industrial district. Though from the lack of activity I would guess this area has been left abandoned. I would recommend looking around, I'll give us a cloak like earlier to to help hide our face.** The veins covered a much larger portion of his face now while his eyes remained a glowing red, not something Whitback would think other humans would ignore.

" **Maybe you could make us a mask?"** Jaune suggested as he began walking " **So we don't scare people I mean, I wanna avoid that sickening smell as much as possible."** He had also scared Ruby with his voice, should he avoid speaking as well? Maybe people would just think he was older? Or maybe hurt with how rough it sounded?

 **Very well** The mask grew directly from his face, the material shifting and hardening so his entire face was covered by a plate of pure white with two holes for his eyes. A thin veil of black material from the inside move over the holes to cover the red glow their eyes gave off.

As they wandered Jaune began to see people and as he continued down the streets more and more seemed to come out of nowhere. None of them spared him much of a glance, most thinking he was just an eccentric huntsman or student of beacon.

" **How big is this place…?"** Jaune had trouble holding the awe from his voice, They had been walking for at least an hour now and the city only showed them more people and buildings the deeper Jaune went. He had seen massive buildings before but the sheer number of people shocked him.

The amount of sounds and smells was starting to make him dizzy, everywhere he turned there was people moving around making so much noise. He couldn't stay out here, he couldn't handle so much commotion all at once and neither could Whitback. Suddenly he was inside a burning building again with burning fire licking at his body and ice cold eyes staring at him from everywhere.

he made his way to a secluded alleyway, stumbling into a few people who were completely knocked over due to his weight but he didn't notice. Once out of the way he took deep breaths and leaned against the nearby alley-wall, trying to block out the smell of burning flesh. **I'm sorry Jaune… I would have calmed us but there were so many people… So many potential threats to sort through...**

" **It-it's alright Whitback…"** Jaune took one more deep breath as Whitback calmed them. Even if they didn't need to breath Jaune found the motion was helping steady his shaking hands and clear his burning nose. They was no fire, he was not inside a burning building and there was no charred corpses. He just needed to keep telling himself that.

"You know I've never seen someone so short knock a full grown man over like that." A voice drew Jaune's attention back to the entrance of the alley. "You must be a lot stronger than you look, are you a huntsman?" The orange haired man asked, spinning his cane lazily in his hand.

\\-/

" **No…"** The mysterious hooded figure spoke in a voice that set Roman on edge immediately, but he didn't let it show, forcing the face of a calm gentleman. He knew a potential recruit when he saw one, someone who could easily knock over people twice their size by accident could be dangerous, and useful.

"Fantastic! Glad to make your acquaintance then, Roman torchwick" he took a bow, tipping his bowler hat to the masked stranger and hoping for a introduction in return. " **Why can't I see your friend? I can smell her beside you and yet nothing is there."** the figure caught Roman off guard, he had smelled her?

Neo shattered into view a moment later, her tri colored outfit matching her pink, white and brown hair perfectly. She wore a smile that showed more than a hint of curiosity, rarely did she meet someone who radiated such an ominous presence. "Let me introduce Neopolitan, she doesn't talk much but she won't hurt you." Neo curtsied politely while keeping a critical eye and the masked person in front of her.

" **My name's Jaune, and I won't hurt you either."** He mimicked the curtsy slightly, as if unsure what to do. Maybe he was a recluse or some kind of hermit? Roman wasn't sure but he could use someone with such a threatening presence, a victim would think twice about playing the hero with him around. "I'll cut straight to the chase Jaune, how would you like to work for me? I could use the help of someone strong like you."

" **...Work for you?"** did the stranger not understand what that meant? Had Roman found an idiot? That could prove useful, a dumb strongman was easier to control than someone with some brains. Though Roman hated hearing the excuses idiots tended to make when they eventually made some stupid mistake.

"Never had a job before eh? It's simple really, you help me and in exchange I give you lots of lien." He tried not to sound condescending but who had never heard of working before?

Jaune stayed silent, tilting his head upwards slightly like he was listening to something before answering " **I don't need anything like that."** with a careless shrug.

"You don't want money?" Roman could hardly believe his ears, lien could make your life a hundred times easier, you could never have enough of the stuff! "Then what do you want?"

" **I want to fight for good!"** Roman could only stare in disbelief, did such a chilling, even monstrous voice, really just say something so childish? Fight for good?! What the fuck did that mean?! "You want to fight for good…?" He heard an odd wheezing noise beside him and realized Neo had started laughing while pointing at the dumbfounded look on his face.

" **What? What did I say?"** No matter the depth of his voice, Roman could hear the honest confusion in it. The figure had no idea how foolish he sounded telling the criminal mastermind Roman Torchwick that he wanted to fight for good.

"Nothing at all, she just has a screw loose." He recovered quickly, glaring at Neo while she stuck her tongue out at him with a pout. "Unrelated but… How old are you?" Of course it was related but depending how young the idiot was it wouldn't matter.

" **Fifteen, why?"**

"No reason." Roman shrugged off the question, thinking this just got a whole lot easier. "I can help you fight for "good"" He took a step closer. "But I'm wondering who's good you want to fight for." First he would make the child question himself, confusing and leaving him vulnerable to be manipulated.

" **What do you mean? For the good of everybody of course."** Jaune sounded so sure of himself that Roman could almost feel the naivety. This kid did not grow up in the city, no way someone so stupid would survive long enough to get such fine looking clothing. "But what's good for one person might hurt another, it's impossible to help everybody that way."

" **Then I'll fight for whoever needs the most help."** Jaune argued but Roman could hear doubt in his voice, Roman could tell Jaune hadn't thought his idea over very clearly. "Even if you hurt someone else in the process? What about after the person doesn't need your help, will you help the person you just hurt because he now needs help more?"

" **I-I…"** Roman knew his words were getting through, he just needed to push a bit more. "I get where you're coming from kid, I really do but your goal isn't realistic." Roman moved closer as he spoke, Jaune was too distracted by his inner thoughts to notice.

"How about this." He stopped right in front of Jaune who looked up at him slowly. "You work for me and I'll teach you about how things work around here. Just until you figure out who's good you want to fight for I mean." Roman extended his free hand to Jaune. "deal?"

Jaune hesitated while staring at the hand in front of him silently but Roman knew he would accept. The kid was confused now and without a firm goal in his mind anymore it was only a matter of time before Jaune reached out and accepted the deal.

Grabbing his hand in a firm Handshake Roman quickly paled at the contact, not at the texture of Jaune's glove, though that was disturbing as well. No, what drove a sliver of fear into the Great Roman Torchwick was instead a simple sentence spoken with a haunting terror inside his mind.

 **Do not disappoint us.**

 **\\-/**

Somewhere over the beaches of Patch flew a lone crow, frantically flapping from one end of the beach to the other before landing on the sand with a thud. An instant later Qrow Branwen stood in its place, a look of frustration plain on his face. "Freakin brat… not taking a boat or bullhead like a normal damned person… Making me look like an idiot." he mumbled under his breath.

He had been searching all over Patch for any hint of where the brat could've gone but it was like he just jumped into the ocean! For all Qrow knew that's exactly what he did, not like the aquatic grimm would give him any trouble but that didn't mean he could breathe underwater or even swim! The kid was still part human and needed air to breathe, right? James should have explained things more thoroughly, that bastard always left useful little details.

The beeping from his scroll distracted him from his lamenting, a message from Ozpin with an attached image popping up on the screen. "Oz couldn't know I lost the kid already right?" He tapped the message and went bug eyed at what he saw.

The image displayed showed a figure dressed in a white cloak that looked suspiciously similar to Ruby's and a pearly white mask covering its face walking through a small crowd of people. The message below read "One of my drones snapped this image in the industrial district. The mighty Qrow isn't getting too old to do his job is he?"

Qrow all but threw his scroll into his pocket, did Ozpin really just call him old? Must be nice standing inside that glass house of his! Reincarnating didn't count as an age reset in Qrow's books whether Oz liked it or not.

With a loud sigh Qrow took off into the sky once more in the form of a crow, heading directly east over the ocean back towards Vale. At least he had a solid idea where the kid was now, now he just needed to catch up to him.

How hard could that be?

\~/

 **Took me a bit longer to finish this one, I've been having trouble thinking clearly with my personal life being bleh but I will continue to do my very best! I'd like to mention the leviathan Jaune and Whitback saw hasn't been seen in the anime, just what i theorized would be growing closer to the depths of the ocean similar to the massive mammoth like grimm that have been seen avoiding humans to grow bigger. I think I'm getting an idea of where i want this story to go and with even the origins of salem, ozpin, the grimm and the gods (I haven't seen that far in the anime but I've read about them) and I'd like to warn that I will be going a different route then what's canon. I will try to keep the characters as canonical as I can but I don't think i will be following the story as closely as some people might maybe like. I'm very open to suggestions and ideas about Roman and Neo, I find Neo a bit more difficult to tell her intentions as i haven't seen her conclusion anime-wise(But i think i read about it on the wiki) but from what i have seen she is a damaged person with incredible skills and a loyalty to Roman that borders familial. Everything else I see as changeable as long as it is consistent with her behavior(interest, hobbies and even attractions so long as she remains something of an adrenaline junky (is how i see her). Anyhow I'm rambling at this point, hope you enjoy my portrayal of them and please have a good night/day.**

 **Sm0keyPanda thank you so much! It means a lot to me to know people are enjoying my writing, encourages me more then you could know. Hope you continue to read and enjoy my work! hope to hear what you think of this latest chapter! (ps; I may have not realized where i was going comment so not sure when beacon will be coming but it isn't far off.)**

 **Artjom435, I admit i blundered a bit and forget to show that reaction, damn scatter brain. But I hope I made up for it this chapter and showed a consistent James and Winter. You're right, the virus does merge with the human part! more specifically it merges with the brain while working to strengthen the hosts body, at this point though Whitback has replaced his host(Jaune)'s body with a stronger one (hope I made it clear in the chapter when and why it happened then and not sooner). And as for Ruby meeting him I can't see it happening next chapter(Not positive, just with how i'm thinking of taking the next chapter) but I at the very least plan on following canon and having Ruby visit Vale when she's fifteen (thirteen right now if my math is right) to possibly stop Roman (This chapter will most likely change how that plays out). Hope i didn't answer too ambiguously, Glad you've taken an interest! can't wait to hear from you again.**


	12. Chapter 12

**And another Chapter down, hope you're enjoying the story!**

Chapter 12

Roman couldn't tell exactly what he heard in his head but he knew it had to do with Jaune. He guessed it was some kind of touch-based telepathic semblance and decided to stay a few steps away just in case.

He didn't normally hire people with semblances, They were harder to come by and the only ones that would do dirty work were usually terrible at listening to orders. He would need to stay on guard but remained hopeful that he would have another powerhouse like Neo backing him.

" **There's a lot of negativity here…"** Roman could hear Jaune take a deep breath from under his mask, just like he had been doing when Roman found him. Strange, Roman thought the kid might have had a problem with crowds but there were barely any people around them.

"We're in the center of the city now, at the edge of the residential district, where the city throws its trash." It was the cheapest place to live but also the best place to get a dagger in the back for whatever was in your pocket. Perfect for staying under the radar, so long as you knew where the cops patrolled.

"The poor, injured or abused. Anyone who has a tendency to draw grimm is usually relocated here. "For the safety of all" as the council puts it." Roman snorted callously, the council didn't give a rats ass about the unfortunates of society. They only cared about maintaining their power and keeping grimm away from themselves.

" **Wouldn't that just cause people more pain? Why don't they leave?"** Jaune sounded confused and Roman had to suppress the urge to sigh, trying and failing to keep the annoyance from his voice, he explained "Of course they want to leave, but there aren't many places people can go. Not without money.". The world revolved around lien and many of the refugees, struggle to find any work upon entering the already overcrowded city.

Leading them inside an unassuming apartment, Roman passed by a few of his men while making his way down the main hallway. he waved them off and continued further into the building, heading towards his office just past the stairs.

Jaune remained silent, his mask hiding any thoughts he might have as they moved to the end of the building, stopping at the last doorway. "I'll be in my office planning if you need me just don't go too far from the apartment, I'll be sending Neo to find you soon."

" **You… Don't mind if I leave?"** Roman turned back and raised an eyebrow at Jaune "I'm not your babysitter kid, I don't give a damn what you do so long as it doesn't draw attention to us. I only recommend you mind your own business, fight for your own good ya know?" Jaune didn't respond but Roman had other things on his mind, he needed time to think and a quiet place to do it.

"Just go do whatever you normally do, but expect Neo before morning." He opened the door and slipped inside with Neo close behind, the latter of which giving a sweet smile before the door closed.

\\-/

Jaune wasn't sure what to think, every question Roman answered just gave him more questions. " **Can we trust him…?"** Jaune asked Whitback quietly, hoping the sweet smell around them hadn't distracted it. Jaune could smell it too but it didn't affect him nearly as much as it used to, he just needed to focus on something else.

 **I don't think so… But he isn't wrong either…** Whitback spoke slowly, the negativity in the air driving it to slur slightly. It had gotten better at staying lucid around small amounts of anger, fear and other negative emotions that were prevalent in White fang strongholds but neither of them had dealt with such a high population before. It was beginning to mess with their minds.

" **Are you alright? Maybe coming here was a mistake…"** Jaune wasn't sure what to do, he wanted to help but had no idea how to go about it. Now they were surrounded by the smell that continued to worm its way into their head, not strong enough to overtake their senses but enough to put stress on them.

 **Don't be foolish, if you want to help people this is the perfect place to be.** Whitback seemed to snap back to reality. **I'll be fine, just try not to be too scary and we have nothing to worry about. Now let's go find someone to help.** Jaune had to smile, he knew Whitback didn't, or perhaps couldn't, care about others but it was trying to help Jaune feel better.

Jaune nodded, Whitback was right; the people around here obviously needed help and just because he didn't quite know how to help didn't mean he couldn't try. At this point it didn't matter if Roman could be trusted, Jaune would find that out eventually no matter what. He would instead focus on helping whoever he could.

With a new game-plan in mind Jaune walked back down the hall and out of the building, ignoring the strange looks from Roman's guards. " **Where to start…"** Jaune muttered to himself, looking around the darkening neighborhood as street lights started turning on.

 **Just walk around and listen, I refuse to believe no one is in trouble with so much negativity in the air.** Jaune nodded and began walking at a brisk pace, a feeling of urgency quickening his steps even with no destination in mind.

Periodically Jaune would have to pause and take a breath as the sweet scent remained thick in the air. Absentently he wondered if Roman was telling the truth about the city forcing its more unfortunate people into one place. It sounded like a terrible thing for someone to do to another, how could people with the same authority as James be so cruel?

It hadn't gotten too late when he finally heard something out of the ordinary, barely above a whisper but he heard it as clear as day. "... please no… stop..." it was weak but the desperation was clear. "Shut it! No one is coming to help an _animal_ like you." a second voice hissed.

Jaune took off towards the voices, the scent of fear and anger getting stronger as he moved closer before finally finding coming to a dim alley. The sun was gone but Jaune had no trouble seeing the large figure struggling with a smaller figure, a knife in hand.

Without thinking Jaune reach out in desperation to stop the armed attacker, a tendril exploding from his hand in response to his will. Before Jaune knew what was happening it wrapped around the neck of the larger figure and flung him against the opposing wall. With a nauseating crunch the aura-less man was crushed.

Jaune didn't have time to feel guilty as a new wave of negativity hit him, stemming from the Faunus girl he had pullen the man off of. Looking down at the shaking figure Jaune could taste the terror she was radiating.

" **...I-I'm sorry"** Jaune took a step forward but the girl let out a deafening shriek, reaching for the discard knife and swinging wildly towards Jaune. Whitback, already hazy from the sudden powerful wave of fear, immediately defended against the attack like it would any other and sent thin needles to impale and devour the aggressor.

Jaune wanted to tell Whitback to stop but could do nothing but stare. Why had she attacked him? He had saved her didn't he? He turned numbly to the mangled corpse of the crushshed man that still sat inbedded in the concrete wall, had Jaune really done that? He rarely saw so much blood and sinew, Whitback usually absorbed everything too quickly.

 **Are you okay Jaune…?** Whitback asked after a long silence, its voice cautious as if worried Jaune would suffer another panic attack. " **I guess I can control the material."** Jaune stated dully while looking at his hand for a few moments before turning and walking out of the alleyway without another word. **I'm sorry Jaune…**

" **It wasn't your fault. She attacked us after all."** Did Jaune really believe that? He couldn't stop thinking about the fearful look in that girls eyes, just before she turned to black like countless White Fang before her. **Please be honest, I can feel your unrest. I can only help if you talk to me.**

" **You can't help!"** A smash accompanied Jaune's shout, without thinking he stomped his foot down with unrestrained force, cracking concrete and shattering nearby windows. Jaune felt his chest tighten before running straight to Roman's apartment, hoping no one saw it was him who caused so much damaged.

"What the hell was that noise?!" The men standing guard just inside looked completely disheveled but Jaune ignored them, he had to get somewhere quiet. He needed to calm down but the constant negativity in the air kept his nerves on end and it was only getting stronger.

"Hey I'm talking to you!" The man who spoke was clearly angry at being ignore and moved forward to stop Jaune from walking away.

" _ **Move."**_ Jaune didn't notice how his voice reverberated, his head was pounding too hard for him to care and the sweet smell only twisted his thoughts further. Where was it coming from? He knew he was supposed to block it out and focus on something else but he could feel himself slipping.

The stress from what just happened in the alley mixed with the generally negativity that seemed to surround the area was all to much for him. The guard's anger was all it took to push Jaune down a very steep edge.

The man instinctively reached for his weapon, caught completely off guard by Jaune's voice. "What the he-!?" he was cut off as Jaune grabbed and crushed his sword arm in the same instant. The man let out a howl of pain but Jaune couldn't hear over the sound of blood rushing in his ears.

The other guards had enough time to draw their weapons as they witness their coworker dissolve into a shapeless black goo before Jaune brought it into his body. Or had Whitback done that? Jaune couldn't tell and didn't care, in that moment all he cared about was the smell that made his very skin feel alive.

" _ **ehehehe-AHAHAHA! Who's next…?**_ " The remaining guards sweatdropped as Jaune raised a hand towards them, all of them too scared to move an inch. " _ **No one…? Then allow me!"**_ His fingertips sharpened suddenly before extending faster than the nameless henchmen could hope to react. All but one were broken down and consumed to satiate Jaune's growing hunger. The remaining man Jaune flung behind himself, down the hall towards several more henchmen who were making their way towards the commotion.

With yelps of surprise the body hit the small crowd just a second before Jaune followed. They smelled so delectable Jaune couldn't help himself, he needed to devour every single morsel.

More henchmen rushed in from upstairs and Jaune's tendrils became too busy dealing with them to absorb the corpses around him. In response he started using his mouth, letting his mask slip away to start biting into the flesh around him while the tendrils whipped around the entryway, preventing any henchmen from getting away.

" _ **No more…?"**_ Jaune looked around the damaged hallway while his tendrils scoured the immediate area for any biomass it may have missed. " _ **Wasn't there two with Aura…?"**_ Jaune twitched " _ **Doesn't matter… no one here now…"**_ There was no one left in the building but Jaune knew there were others outside.

" _ **Must find more... I need more…"**_ That didn't make sense, why did he need more? Wasn't there plenty here already. " _ **Always more… never enough…"**_ Something was wrong, what was he saying? Never enough what? Why did his head hurt so much?

" _ **I don't… know…"**_ Jaune stared down at his hands, at his sharpened and elongated fingers. " _ **The scent! I need my sweet!"**_ He yelled at the ceiling but that wasn't right either. He was supposed to avoid the scent, not look for it.

He shook his head and a tendril smashed into the wall " _ **I need itt!"**_ more tendrils exploded from Jaune, thrashing around wildly and smashing the walls around him to bits.

He didn't need the scent or the flesh that produced it, it was bad. The more he thought about it the more his head felt like it was splitting in two.

" _ **I. need. I- aahh!"**_ Jaune and Whitback howled in agony as the building collapsed around them.

\\-/

For the second time in less than a week, James Ironwood stepped off a bullhead and into the city of Vale. If he was being honest with himself the constant flying back and forth was starting to wear on his patience, at least there was good reason for it. Something had happened with Jaune, something that got him arrested before Ozpin or Qrow could get to him.

A short car ride later and James stood in front of the Vale police station, spotting Qrow waiting outside with a flask in hand. "Oz is waiting inside." The usual sarcasm was gone from his voice, replaced with an exhaustion that spoke volumes of the amount of sleep he had got in the past few days.

"You look worse than I do. Has Jaune been that busy?" James hadn't heard much, just that Jaune had been arrested and Ozpin had changed his mind; observation wasn't an option anymore.

Qrow shrugged "Don't know, he dropped off the map after patch and re-appeared suddenly in Vale yesterday." He let out a sigh and scratched the back of his head. "He hasn't said a word since we found him in the remains of a recently collapsed building. Ozpin is in the interrogation room with him now."

James frowned, they found him in a collapsed building? Had Jaune really gotten into so much trouble in a single day? Even with Whitback's influence James still saw Jaune as a good person, confused and damaged yes, but still just a child doing what he thought was right.

Qrow led James through the station, drawing a few stray stares from the officers curious to why the Atlesian general was in their station. James only glanced at them before continuing with Qrow, Oz would answer any questions they might have.

The room Jaune and Ozpin were in was a basic interrogation room with two sections and a large pane of one way glass separating them. Ozpin was on the side closer to the entrance, simply keeping an eye on Jaune who sat on the opposite side of the glass. A cloak James didn't recognize covered Jaune's downcast face, made from Whitback's material James would guess.

"Thank you for coming James, I apologise for calling you so soon after you left but like I said, I believe I made a mistake." Ozpin looked a little worn out as well James realised, not as much as Qrow but still enough to leave bags under his eyes.

"Observation is no longer a viable route, after last night's events rumors will no doubt begin to spread." Ozpin explained calmly before taking a sip from his mug and asking "I was curious, would you be able to get him to speak? He hasn't said a word and I would like to avoid using any harsher methods."

James nodded, choosing not to dwell on the harsher methods Ozpin referred to and pushing open the door to stand in front of Jaune. From James' new angle he could see the lower half of Jaune's face, covered by a smooth plate. He must have decided to cover his features, at least he understood the need for subtlety, if only vaguely.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" James asked a bit harshly, he didn't want to hurt Jaune but if he insisted in acting like a child and runaway from responsibility he would need to be treated like one.

"You disobeyed me, went AWOL and now I'm told you're refusing to cooperate." Jaune raise his head but the mask prevented James from seeing anything so he continued. "You lost control didn't you? that's why that building was collapsed around you?" Jaune's silence was all the confirmation James needed. "Damnit Jaune I told you that you weren't ready to go into cities!"

Jaune flinched and James saw something drip out from underneath his mask. James realized what was happening a moment later and felt something catch in his throat before he could continue his lecture.

" **I-I'm so... sorry…"** His voice only served to hammer the spike of guilt growing in James as Jaune's mask slipped off. James could see the increased number of blackened veins but only really noticed the glowing red eyes. Eyes that were drowning in sorrow with tears of blackened midnight streaming from them.

" **You were right… I-I…-!"** James didn't let him finish before wrapping him in a hug. "It's alright Jaune. I understand." James replied quietly, almost softly. Jaune only sobbed more; he must have had one hell of an introduction to Vale.

\~/

 **And so Jaune and Whitback go crazy again, this time from all the negative energy that tends to gather in poorer parts of cities and of course a push from a stressful situation only helped to makes things so much worse. He is not the same person when in the frenzied state as you may be able to tell, his mind only able to focus on one thing until the negativity lessens, at least enough for Jaune to snap himself back. Took me a long time to decide whether or not Jaune would spend some time with Roman and Neo but, as a friend reminded me, Roman is coward at heart that would bugout asap if his life was in danger. He would see Jaune bloody eating people and jump out the closest window in my head, But i would love to hear anyone else's thought's! I still believe he is a smart guy if an ass so wouldn't be unbelievable for him to learn from this event and use it against Jaune if found later. (or sooner if something pops up.) like always please don't hesitate to let me know what you think of my story in the reviews! Please have a g'night/mornin if possible!**

 **Thanks for the Review Sm0keyPanda! Hope i didn't disappoint ya and that you continue to enjoy my work!**

 **Artjom435 hope you don't mind the route i took, leaving Roman behind like that. took me awhile to decide to but once I think it was the right choice given the scenario. Jaune wants to be a good person but is having trouble juggling the grimm side that only cares for self preservation and survival. and go crazy around negativity doesn't help him, even with practice he's never had to deal with more than a couple dozen people at once so i thought it would wear on him greatly. I hope you like where I took Jaune and James,** **poor Jaune is devastated about the previous night** **! Also hope I didn't make anything seem to forced or anything, thanks for reviewing! hope to hear what you think!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Bit of a "in between" chapter, hope I made it interesting!**

\~/

Once Jaune calmed down enough to speak he tried to explain everything as best he could, with Whitback helping to fill in patches. He started with how he caught Blake and continued to the point when he left Romans apartment to find someone to help.

" **It's a little blurry after that…"** Jaune hesitated, the memory still hurt to think about. "Just try your best Jaune." James tried to encourage him.

" **There was a woman and a man in a dark alley, he had a knife pointed at her."** Jaune shook his head, he still didn't know what had happened between the pair to cause such anger and fear. " **I didn't think. I just wanted to get him off her but…"** Jaune trailed off, looking at his hand and focusing on what he wanted to happen.

The glove disappeared suddenly, showing James how the flesh absorbed it directly instead of through an incision like Whitback normally did. " **I lost control…"** Jaune stared at his hand, the sight of the man imbedded in concrete like some perverse cartoon was burning in his mind.

" **She was so s-"** Jaune felt his throat close off, the woman's face playing in his mind over and over. " **I-I killed her too…"** he couldn't explain any more, he could feel his hands shaking and his stomach flipping. She was innocent and he had killed her without even thinking.

James was about to place a hand on Jaune's shoulder when he suddenly stiffed and looked up with a straight face. " **Jaune killed the man by accident, he wasn't used to our new body and sent a tendril forth without meaning too."** Whitback had to explain, Jaune having withdrawn into the deeper parts of his psyche.

" **The woman was hysterical, but I admit I was already on edge when she attacked."** Whitback frowned awkwardly, not used to feeling such human emotions let alone expressing them.

" **I… regret what happened. Had I been clear minded I could have disarmed her and Jaune would have been spared such intense remorse."** It's frown deepened as it reached up to touch the liquid forming at its eyes, when had Jaune created those? It was such a waste of material but Whitback doubted Jaune even knew he was doing it.

" **But that doesn't matter now…"** Whitback wished things could have been different but it was too late. " **With the added stress from the alleyway all Jaune needed was a push to go over. A push Roman's men provided."** Whitback finished and looked up at James, seeing the larger man scratch his chin thoughtfully.

" **Am I going to have to stay in my room again…?"** Jaune asked barely above a mumble, coming back to himself after a few moments pause.

\\-/

James felt his heart wrench, he never wanted to keep Jaune locked up but it was necessary to keep the public from learning about Whitback… Wasn't it? James frowned to himself, perhaps he had only done what was easiest for him, forgetting Jaune was still a traumatised child in need of support.

"No. You won't" James let out a sad sigh. "It was a mistake to try and hide you away. I'm sorry, Jaune." James could see how he had only caused Jaune more problems by keeping so secluded. If James had done things differently this whole mess might have been avoided.

" **I just wanted to stop others from hurting like I did… I only wanted to help…"** Jaune tried to explain, struggling to cope. "You still can Jaune." James knew exactly what he wanted to say but the choice wasn't really up to his alone to make.

He turned to the glass where Ozpin was watching, knowing the headmaster of Beacon would understand his intentions. Ozpin walked into the room a moment later, his cane tapping the ground in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other and an unreadable expression on his face.

"Hello Jaune, I'm professor Ozpin and despite the circumstances, it's a pleasure to meet you." Ozpin said politely with a bow. Jaune stared at the silvered haired man while the last of his tears faded into his "skin".

Jaune looked a bit awkward, as if unsure what to say. "This is the headmaster of the huntsmen academy in Vale, like I am in Atlas." James explained, he hadn't taught Jaune much about the other kingdoms but he had explained the importance of Huntsmen and the academies.

" **You train Huntsmen in Vale?"** Jaune perked up, clearly intrigued. " **Do you know Ruby? She said even I could be a huntsman, but James said huntsman fight the grimm."** Ozpin didn't interrupt but gave a sideways glance to James, curious what else he had taught Jaune.

" **Are the rules in Vale different? Do you have to fight off all grimm here?"** James remembered teaching Jaune the huntsmen were the final defense against the grimm, but Jaune had never said anything wanting to be one. Had James not been paying enough attention?

"The Grimm slaughter humans and faunus alike without mercy or thought. Tell me, do you seek the destruction of humans or faunus?" Ozpin asked simply, raising his cup to sip gently and raising an eyebrow at Jaune.

" **No!... well maybe I used to want the White Fang destroyed… But not anymore!"** Jaune looked up with pleading eyes "What about when you lose control?" Jaune immediately looked down, shame clear on his face.

" **... Then nothing is safe."** he mumbled quietly and cleared his throat " **But it's only when there's too much negativity."** Jaune tried to explain with desperation touching his voice. " **I don't even know why it happens…"**

"You've gotten much better since I first saw you at Jacques'." James said to try and comfort him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "With practice I'm sure you'll have a much easier time staying in control." Jaune shrugged as if unsure but still couldn't stop a small smile from showing off his pride.

"It wouldn't be easy, even with that gr-" Ozpin stopped himself before he said something rude. "Even with Whitback helping you it would take months if not years of preparation to even train as a huntsman. Are you prepared to make that commitment? Even if the people you want to save only fear you?" Ozpin didn't want to dissuade Jaune, only test his reaction.

" **Doing nothing wouldn't make anything better. Huntsman and huntresses are heros that help people."** To Jaune it made perfect sense " **I want to be a hero too!"**

\\-/

An hour later Jaune was getting comfortable in a vacant room in Beacon while Ozpin, Qrow and James were inside the headmaster's office. Qrow was the first to speak, having remained silent the entire time Jaune was with them. He didn't dislike the boy, he just couldn't help but be cautious after seeing what Whitback was capable of.

"Do you two seriously think it's a good idea to train something so Dangerous?" Qrow didn't think Jaune was completely lost to the grimm but that didn't mean it couldn't influence him. "I know you both see how much that grimm has changed Jaune already."

"Only with the Jaune's permission, which I believe speaks volumes for Whitback." James defended a bit too quickly. "Jaune is only a danger if there's too much negativity." Qrow squinted his eyes at James.

"Don't you think you're a bit too "close" to be making decisions like that?" Qrow pointed out, he never thought James could go easy on someone but it appeared he had grown attached to Jaune over the years. Did he forget what the grimm were capable of? It was in their nature to destroy and Qrow spent enough time around the beasts to understand they couldn't be reasoned with.

"Peace, let's not let emotion get the better of us." Ozpin cut in before an argument could start. "Let me ask you, how many huntsman and huntresses graduate every year?" he asked Qrow who looked a little confused at the sudden question.

"Couple a classes maybe…? Why?" Qrow didn't know what Oz was getting at, what did graduated huntsmen have to do with Jaune being dangerous?

"And how many die every year?"Ozpin didn't need to go on, Qrow knew they lost far too many huntsmen every year.

"More than a few classes worth…" Qrow mumbled. Despite the message of peace the council tried so hard to cram down everyone's throat, the grimm were getting more aggressive by the day.

"We're losing this war Qrow, even if Jaune is a risk he is still one of our best chances of catching Salem off guard and turning the tide of this war." Ozpin explained not unkindly and Qrow nodded, sighing quietly in defeat.

"Of course he will kept under close watch, to make sure he doesn't lose control again. He'll also have to learn to keep a low profile before he becomes a "public" student at Beacon." Ozpin clarified, hoping to put at least a few of Qrow's worries to rest. Good intentions wouldn't matter for Jaune if the public saw him as a creature of grimm, they have lost far too much to see grimm as anything but monsters.

Ozpin knew it wouldn't be easy to hide Whitback from the public but he didn't think it impossible. There were all manner of semblances, he was sure that would explain anything Jaune wasn't already able to hide, like his immense weight and strength. Morphing his body into tendrils and weapons would need to be made off limits around others.

"I suppose with how much the Atlassian council likes to watch my academy, Beacon would be the better place for Jaune to learn without interference." James sounded a little disappointed but didn't push the subject.

"Then it's official." Ozpin announce with a tap of his cane. "I'll fill in Glynda on the details when she gets back. I'll be in touch with both of you shortly." Qrow nodded to Oz, giving a glance to James before leaving the office with an exhausted farewell.

"You haven't told Glynda yet? Risky move Oz, you know she hates being left out of the loop. She practically runs this school for you." James smiled with Ozpin, he admitted to himself to being a bit disappointed she wasn't at Beacon during his recent visits.

"Indeed, now I've gone and recruited a fifteen year old grimm hybrid." Ozpin chuckled, he wasn't going to be getting away with this one without a few choice words. "Will you be staying the night?"

"Unfortunately I have spent too much time in Vale already, Winter is handling things while I'm away but questions will start popping up if I stay much longer." James didn't want to leave so soon but he had little choice in the matter, all he could do was hope Jaune became an amazing huntsman.

\\-/

Deep in the emerald forest, far from prying eyes, Qrow branwen raised harbinger in its sword form to deflect a tendril aimed for his ribs. He charged a second later and kicked Jaune with as much force as he could muster, using his aura to keep from breaking his foot.

"Come on Jaune, it's been three months already. You have to stop using your tendrils already." Qrow scolded while Jaune landed on the ground with a loud thud. He recovered quickly, twisting his sword and adjusting his shield to ready himself for another attack.

" **Let me try again."** Jaune said stubbornly, he refused to admit defeat just yet. He was already stronger and tougher than most any huntsmen and yet he wasn't even coming close to Qrow. Even without Whitback trying to help, Jaune thought he could at least put up a fight but he had spent more time on the ground than standing since they started sparring.

After a few more hours of being tossed around by the experienced huntsman, Jaune was finally given a break when an alarm rang from Qrow's scroll. "That's enough for today kid, Glynda should be waiting in the usually spot." Qrow said while tapping his scroll to shut it up.

Jaune nodded but didn't leave right away, instead turning to Qrow and asking " **Did Ruby come with you to Vale?"**. His mask hid the somewhat nervous look on his face, Ruby was the only person his age he knew of. Beside blake of course, but he didn't know if he even wanted to find her again.

"Nope, too much homework. Why?" Qrow explained while raising an eyebrow. " **No reason, I just wanted to thank her."** Jaune replied quickly with a nervous chuckle. "Hmm." Qrow simply hummed.

 **You're going to be late for Glynda's lessons.** Whitback reminded him, causing him to jump slightly. " **I gotta go, I'll see you later Qrow!"** Jaune called as he took off at a brisk pace back towards Beacon.

"Good to see you made it on time today." Glynda commented as Jaune rushed into the vacant classroom they used for his theory studies. "We have a lot to cover before you can hope to keep up with other first years, open you textbook to page-"

Jaune almost immediately zoned out, the nearly endless pages of text boring him to no end. He would rather clean his room than read through "The creation of the steam engine". At least Whitback enjoyed the lessons, soaking in every word Glynda spoke, it couldn't learn enough as far as it was concerned.

" **Miss Goodwitch? Do you think I'll be allowed to go back into the city?"** Jaune asked once the lesson had concluded and the sun outside was falling below the horizon. She looked caught off guard at first but it was gone so quickly Jaune could swear he imagined it.

"That would be up to Ozpin." She replied evenly while adjusting her glasses. "But I don't think he would have a problem with it, so long as you keep practicing your control like James taught you."

" **I do every night!"** Jaune answered with a thumbs up since his mask covered his smile. " **I wonder when he'll visit next…"** Jaune wondered idly to himself, he hadn't seen James since the night they arrived at beacon. It was a bit nerve wracking at first, but Jaune found himself enjoying the experience before long. It made him feel like he was making progress towards something he wanted.

The rest of the night he spent in his room, legs crossed and controlling his breathing like James had taught him. With his senses he could hear and smell almost anything in the school, but he didn't focus on that. Instead he tried to focus only on his breathing, the way air filled his chest before being released back out. Need for oxygen or not, it gave him something to focus on.

" _ **we are not slaves to our bloodlust."**_ Their voice reverberated, two consciousnesses melting to one. " _ **we are not slaves to our instincts."**_ They chanted, repeating the words they told themselves every night. " _ **we are not slaves to our emotions."**_ It helped them remember it when they needed to the most. James said people could convince themselves of anything, so Jaune and Whitback would continue to convince themselves no matter how long it took.

" _ **We are who we chose to be."**_

\~/

 **Hope this chapter is up to snuff! School has been kicking the shit outta me but again I'm happy to have this out within the week. I hope it makes sense how i've built up Jaune with basically the same goal in mind as canon but with obvious differences. I plan on rewatching rwby from the beginning to hopefully better understand the mind set and personalities of the "gang". the last section of this chapter is basically just the average day Jaune will be going through until he is "ready" by Ozpins standards (spoilerish* its gonna be when team rwby and J*npr are there) Hope to here any thoughts and have a good night/morning!**

 **Sm0keyPanda Thank ya kindly, I'm glad you agreed with my Roman! He's arrogant but not stupid! I mainly worry about inconsistencies but I should really learn to relax a bit more. Thanks for your support, let me know if it gets better! I'll keep doing my best!**

 **chendong2698 not to worry! I just had to get this chapter out of the way before getting to beacon, next chapter we should be seeing him interacting with familiar faces, promise! Thanks for the review!**

 **Guest, My goodness, careful or you'll make me blush! I don't think I've ever received such a compliment on my work, when I first saw it on my email during school; instant good day! I hope I made the after conversation between Jaune and James alright and even if James isn't at Beacon Jaune can still contact him via scroll which i just may use if Jaune has a particularly bad day. I truly hope I didn't mess up the follow up, and made accurate depictions of Jaune and James. As for the grimmified body, they both definitely noticed once they saw his face. When I thought who might have a negative reaction, canon James came to mind but the circumstances are very different in this story so i thought Qrow would be the most cautious after fighting against the grimm for so long. Oz on the other hand i tried to make a "big picture" sort of thinker, knowing the grimm were winning and needing more "defenders" so to speak. Hope to hear your opinion again, thanks for taking such an interest!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you all for the support! Please enjoy the latest chapter!**

 **\~/**

 **Chapter 14**

 **You better hurry** Whitback warned as Jaune looked over himself in the mirror, he couldn't let something slip on initiation day. He looked over the slim white material that covered his entire body, mimicking skin to cover his blackened veins and help hide his identity.

The suit was almost perfect as a disguise but it had two major flaws. It couldn't be hardened else it wouldn't be flexible enough to move in and didn't come up very far past his neck as face looked just plain weird when completely covered.

" **I know I know, just making sure."** Jaune concentrated on his body, trying to shape it properly to form the clothing and armor he and Ozpin agreed on. With a few seconds pause the blackened veins spread outwards, moving the white material where he willed it and retreating back once it was done.

 **You're getting much better** Whitback commented while inspecting the intricate work brought on by Jaune's imagination and Ozpin's suggestions. Plates of pure white armor covered his body, similar to the knights of old Ozpin spun tales of. Any exposed flesh was covered by an under-layer of tiny interlocked chains. The armor stopped at his neck and was covered by the white cloak Jaune had added in an attempt to appear less intimidating.

" **Thanks, but I still wish we didn't have to wear all this armor."** Jaune commented while twisting an arm around slowly to make sure the pieces fit perfectly together. **You know as well as I that other students would see we had no aura the first time we got cut.** Whitback pointed out while quickly making some slight adjustments to the armor to help prevent discomfort and noise.

" **Yea…"** Jaune trailed off, a bit nervous at the mention of other students. He was excited to finally be going to school of course but what if something went wrong? It had taken two years for Ozpin to let Jaune attempt initiation, what if he screwed up?

 **Don't worry Jaune, we've practiced this day and night for the last two years.** Whitback could feel his unease **Be more confident in yourself** it tried to encourage.

" **You're right."** Jaune nodded and, with a slight twitch, his mask formed around his face and covered his eyes with the net of black material to complete his "disguise". He flipped the hood of the cloak up, paused to looked at himself before pushing it back down and showing off his white hair. He thought it made him look a bit more… Human.

 **You're going to be late if you keep stalling** Jaune flinched slightly and turned to look at his clock. " **Damn!"** He cursed to himself, hastily forming a sword at his hip and a shield in his hand before rushing out the door. The other students would already be heading for the edge of the Emerald Forest by now, would Ozpin be angry if he was late?

Jaune was lucky he already spent so much time in the school, finding his way to the cliff side was easy but as he got closer something caught his eye. Among the gathering of first years that stood at the cliffside Jaune sighted of a familiar red cloak.

"Nice of you to finally join us Mr Arc." Glynda's voice snapped his attention away before he could confirm his suspicion. He felt every eye turn to him, the only late-comer, as he rushed to stand next to the others.

" **Sorry miss Goodwitch"** Jaune apologised quietly but still loud enough for the surrounding students to hear. Jaune ignored the several different reactions and kept his attention on Glynda, he would not be discouraged so easily. " **Did I miss anything?"**

Ozpin raised an eyebrow just as the first student was launched into the forest below via spring loaded floor plate. "Not really." he said with a shrug, the second student launching into the forest with a yelp of surprise.

"Just find the temple," Another student went flying. "find a relic," A White haired student went next, followed by a red headed one. "And your partner for the next four years" A boy with a mohawk then a girl with orange hair went upwards. "Will be with whomever you make eye contact with first."

Another two students got launched, a boy in green with a pink stripe in his black hair and a large, armored boy with short brown hair. " **Isn't that a bit…"** A blonde haired girl who was way too excited to be sent flying was in the air next.

" **Random?"** A red cloak flashed past his face as the student next to him went skybound. **Get ready.** Whitback warned while Jaune absently noticed the extra clicks his floor plate gave off compared to the others. Ozpin took a sip from his mug, obviously stalling for the few seconds the contraption required.

"Yes." He responded just as the plate strained to launch Jaune, breaking completely as Whitback timed a jump to add more momentum. **We're not falling behind now Jaune, focus on the goal ahead.**

Jaune gave a nod, Whitback was right; Oz had his reasons, no point arguing now. He shifted his weight, struggling for a moment to get the cloak behind himself just as the treeline began coming up on him. Even with Whitback's added jump they still weighed too much to stay airborne long.

He bounced off the ground with a loud thud, cursing loudly at the botched landing while Whitback twisted mid-air to regain their footing. He stopped for a moment after coming to a stop and looked around slowly " **I'm good, nothing to worry about, no one saw that."** he muttered to himself while brushing off a bit of dirt and fixing his cloak.

 **Except Ozpin, Glynda and whomever they decide to show the video to.** Whitback responded bluntly. **Since they're recording all the first years.**

Jaune let out an exaggerated sigh " **Yes. Except for them."**

\\-/

"Do you really think he's ready?" Glynda knew Jaune had finally caught up in his studies and his combat abilities, without Whitback's tendrils, were developing rapidly. That on its own was impressive but Jaune had much more he had to think about than the average student. "What if he's recognized?"

Ozpin looked at his scroll that showed several different students in various states in the forest, some already fighting grimm while others were still looking for a partner. "Then I suppose he'll be caught and we'll be tried for treason and sentenced to death." he tapped the scroll, switching the camera angle.

"I wish you'd take this more seriously, you're risking an awful lot for one hunter." glynda said with a sigh and turned her attention to her own scroll, grading the students with a critical eye.

"Sorry" The silver haired man apologised with a smile, it had been a long time since he had a class filled with so many interesting students and he was feeling optimistic. "I have faith that mister Arc will surpass our expectations, just as I do with the young Ruby Rose." Ozpin anticipated Glynda's thought process while glancing over his scroll at her.

She shook her head and let out a defeated sigh, of course she was worried about letting someone so young into the school but she couldn't fault Ozpin for it. They needed Huntsmen, now more than ever. "I trust you know what you're doing, I just hope they both understand what they've gotten themselves into."

It was strange in a sense, how two people with such different upbringings could share such a similar mindset. When push came to shove both Jaune and Ruby proved neither could just stand back and do nothing when they saw injustice, but was that noble? or childishly naive?

"Who can say? All we can do is teach, and hope those we are teaching take our lessons to heart." That being said Ozpin still felt optimism when looking upon this batch of students, even without Ruby or Jaune there was a staggering amount of potential to go around. He just had to prevent Salem from corrupting it.

\\-/

Gotta find yang, gotta find yang, gotta find "Yang! Yang!" Ruby yelled out into the forest while running, She had landed not a moment ago and began looking for her sister immediately. Why couldn't they just pick their partner? If Ozpin didn't care who they ended up with and made the whole thing random, what difference did it make?

What if Yang already had a partner? Ruby would have to find a different partner! Who else did she know here? Maybe Pyrrha? She seemed nice and she's strong but didn't that Weiss girl already say she was her partner? Ruby already annoyed Weiss when she accidentally exploded her dust… She didn't want to make an enemy on her first day…

A loud crash startled her just as a white figure smashed through several trees before making a small crater a few meters from her. " **definitely not the relic…"** She heard the cloaked figure mumble while he got to his feet. She was about to asked what he was talking about when a massive Death Stalker smashed its way towards them like a deranged train off its tracks.

Ruby reacted quickly, jumping out of the way and expecting to see the masked figure miss Goodwitch called Jaune to do the same. She turned around when she heard the Stalker impact something solid and was shocked to see him holding the grimm off with nothing but a plain white shield.

"Wow…I didn't think that was even pos-" She was interrupted when the Grimm sent Jaune flying again towards her with a powerful strike from its stinger. She tried to catch him but regretted it a moment later as she had the wind knocked out of her.

"No offense... but you're a lot heavier than you look…" She felt winded but her Aura stopped any serious damage. " **Sorry about that! are you alri-?"** Jaune paused for a moment as if caught of guard. " **Ruby?"**

"Yes…?" She said a bit unsure where this stranger had heard of her, though he did look strangely familiar. " **It's been so long! I almost didn't recog-"** Again the Scorpion-like grimm interrupted, rampaging towards them with reckless abandon. They both jumped out of the way before it could get ahold of them.

"Fight now, talk later!" She stated while pulling free her Crescent Rose and firing off several shots to distract the Death Stalker. Jaune nodded and charged forward only to be stopped by the thing's massive stinger.

It was keeping him from gaining momentum Ruby realized, whenever he would wind up an attack it would strike with the stinger and throw him off balance. Anything less than a significant blow just glanced off its exoskeleton; resulting in Jaune's current stalemate.

" **Little help?"** Jaune asked while blocking a swipe from the grimm's pincer and trying to make a strike of his own. Ruby switched tactics when her bullets did little, using her semblance to launch a series of attacks to attempt and draw the creature's attention away from Jaune.

Her planned worked if only to enrage the Stalker further, sending it into a frenzy and smacking her into into a nearby tree. Her Aura held strong but she wasn't sure how many more of those hits she could take, it hit a hell of a lot harder than a Beowulf.

"Havin fun without me sis?" The familiar voice made Ruby jump to her feet "Yaang!" She jumped to wrap her sister in a bear hug. "Want some help?" The tall, blonde haired brawler asked with a smirk.

Before Ruby could respond Jaune smashed into the ground next to them, groaning slightly as he got to his feet. " **Did I hear something about help?"** He asked a bit groggily while trying to shake off the impending concussion.

"Were you two idiots seriously expecting to take on a full grown Death Stalker by yourselves?" Ruby jumped behind Yang at the sound of the Schnee Heiress' voice. Her White hair came down past her bluish-white combat skirt with her pale white Myrtenaster at her hip.

" **I mean… Yes?"** Jaune said with a shrug, clearly not understanding why it sounded so farfetched. "Guys! Focus" Ruby brought their attention back to charging Grimm, taking a few shots at its eyes to slow it down. "Jaune, keep it distracted. I think I've got an idea." He looked at her for a moment before nodding and charging fearlessly.

"We need to get rid of its stinger, have any ice dust to hold it?" she directed to Weiss who had drawn her weapon but was staring at Jaune like he was a suicidal idiot. "Y-Yes of course I have ice dust" She snapped out of her surprise quickly and flicked her Myrtenaster to the proper cartridge.

"Yang, switch with Jaune when I tell you and keep as much of its attention on you." She tried to speak quickly, knowing Jaune couldn't hold long. "Weiss, try to keep it as still as possible while supporting Jaune and Yang. I'll take off it's stinger and while you two keep it busy Jaune can deliver the killing blow."

Weiss hesitated a moment but relented when nothing better came to mind. "Right." she nodded and lunged forward in a series of glyphs, flicking her rapier and sending forth a wall of ice to encase the Grimm's tail. " **Thank you!"** Jaune called out, grateful she stopped the stinger from coming down on him again.

With its tail held still and its focus caught up trying to defend against Jaune it could do nothing as Ruby flew out of nowhere moving too fast to see as anything but a blur. Her scythe bit deeply into the grimm's tail, just below the stinger and with a few extra shots to push her Crescent Rose forward it was severed completely.

"Yang!" Ruby called out and Yang jumped over Jaune, letting loose a flurry of blows with glowing red eyes. The Death Stalker was pushed backwards while Jaune readied his sword at his side and waited for an opening.

As Yang delivered a devastating uppercut a glyph appeared around Jaune's feet like the ones Weiss used to move quickly. He didn't waste time questioning it and lunged forward with the added speed, his white blade slicing cleanly through the softer underbelly.

The black sludge like blood spewed from the grimm, evaporating as it touched the air leaving no trace the grimm had ever existed at all.

"Woo! Who else had fun?" Yang called out with a bright smile.

\~/

 **So this chapter was... difficult. At least two full pages i had written and then deleted because I kept debating how to tackle this. Debated doing it completely from Jaune's pov, also thought about starting it from the grimms perspective but in the end i decided to spread it out a bit more. Please let me know what you think of my changes and constants! I wanted to change the teams but still hope i kept the characters personalities intact. Ruby doesn't fully remember Jaune as she only met him once years ago, though she does remember the encounter it just hasn't "struck" yet. Please let me hear any suggestions or criticisms, especially if I missed something this chapter (I really feel like I did ) and I would love to hear what you're expecting to happen/ want to happen. My "freeform" style lets me incorporate a lot though admittedly it can be a bit difficult at times to keep straight. As always I look forward to hearing from any of you in the reviews and I hope you all have a wonderful evening/morning**

 **Thanks Sm0keyPanda! Even now I plan on using James as a figure Jaune would go to for help if something happened. thanks for the review!**

 **Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh Thank you so much for the compliments! I hadn't realized how common the idea was (I don't read a whole lot of fictions, think whitesheep and one of the gamer ones are two that i remember with the same trope.) But I'm so happy I was able to make it distinct! no one likes a carbon copy over the original. I like to think Ozpin is not panicking but still a more than a bit desperate with how the war against grimm is going, He makes me think of a kind-hearted realist. With the control he can absolutely control it but it depends heavily on his state of mind as well as how often he practices healthy mental exercises. I kind of see it similar to anger problems or even a kind of PTSD just cranked up a bit, Hope I've done a good job of explaining it properly. Whitback is something I'm kinda proud of, you nailed the description of him! Thank you so much for the review! Made my day to hear more people enjoying my work!**

 **Artjom435, I totally should have noticed after the "as i stated previously" comment sorry about that! I'm glad I made the slice of life come out in a naturally way, I feel like I'm a bit better with tense situations than calm ones strangely enough, not sure if that's normal but I'm glad you liked it! As seen last chapter and this chapter Jaune is interested in Ruby though relationship wise i admit I dont have any solid plans. Let me know if you have any suggestions or points you think i missed. thanks for the review!**

 **Thanks for the review Chendong2698! I always appreciate the support!**

 **aSinglePancake, I love to hear that I've drawn more attention! Gives me courage to think I'm doing something right to keep people coming back! Thank you for you kindness!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Bit shorter than usual, hope you still like it!**

\~/

The Naming ceremony was short but sweet and filled to the brim with cheers of excited students, which confounded Jaune to no end. If everyone was so happy why could he smell negativity? Even while walking down the halls with his team towards their new room the scent persisted.

It was faint, barely noticeable at all but Whitback caught it immediately, just after they were named team RASY (Rhapsody) with Ruby as their leader. Was someone unhappy with their team? **It's coming from the white haired girl, Weiss Schnee.**

Jaune held back the urge to respond and looked sideways over his new team-mates, seeing Ruby and Yang happily chatting up a storm with each other while Weiss had her head down deep in thought. He scratched his head, trying to think of something to say that might help her feel better.

" **Is something bothering you?"** He decided to try just asking her, tact was never his strong suit. Weiss looked up at him with a hint of confusion "What are you talking about? Nothing's wrong, I-I was just thinking." She said defensively, crossing her arms and giving him a glare.

" **Sorry, I just thought… Nevermind."** Jaune shook his head and continued walking ahead, earning a few curious stares from his team. He knew something was wrong but why did Weiss want to hide it? Had he done something wrong? **Strange, I wonder why she would lie.**

The negativity persited and even grew when Ruby insisted on making some impromptu bunk beds to save on space in their somewhat cramped room. Was Weiss mad at Ruby? Had something happened before they met in the forest? Seeing the moon rising outside the window he knew he would have plenty of time to think about it while everyone slept.

He put his sword and shield on the side of his bed, keeping a bit of Whitback's body inside the weapons so they wouldn't lose their shape. To remove his armor he relied heavily on the cloak covering himself to hide the black veins that snaked outwards and widened the armor enough to be removed by hand. Again Whitback had to leave a part of itself inside to keep the white material from evaporating without contact with Jaune's body.

After stripping from his armor and placing it on the ground at the foot of his bed, Jaune was left wearing a slim fitting shirt and pants. "Wow…" Yang sounded surprised and Jaune looked over to see her staring at him.

" **What…?"** Jaune asked a bit self consciously while looking over himself, had he made a mistake and given himself away already? "Nothing, just…" She scratched her head, unsure how to properly explain. "Don't take this the wrong way but shouldn't you be… bulkier?"

Jaune cocked his head to the side, what on Remnant did she mean? **I am positive my calculations of your rate-of-growth were perfect. You look exactly how you should at seventeen.** Whitback sounded almost defensive and Jaune just stared blankly, unsure if he was at risk of being caught not.

"Sorry! Didn't mean to touch a nerve, you're just a lot stronger than you look is all." She tried to backtrack, misunderstanding Jaune's hesitation for offense. " **Oh, that's what you meant."** He mumbled to himself with a sigh of relief, she just thought he should have more muscle-mass, not that he looked alien or grimm-like.

" **My semblance is density and strength, downside is I can't really control it"** He explained, flicking the tip of his bedpost and splintering it to prove his point. Lying didn't come naturally to Jaune and he really didn't like doing it but Ozpin had convinced him it was necessary. He was better off keeping his Grimm abilities hidden, he just hoped it wasn't for forever.

"Well if you're offering explanations." Weiss spoke up as she walked out of the bathroom wearing her white pajamas. "Then why do you wear a white mask like the White-Fang?" She pinned Jaune with a glare, she couldn't think he was a member could she? **That's a bit ironic.**

" **I-I uh… Was in an accident when I was a younger."** He tried to avoid actually lying by just being vague. " **There was a dust explosion and -"** He coughed, feeling his throat burn as his lungs suddenly filled with smoke. The smell of his fathers burnt flesh was thick in the air as he died protecting Jaune.

He coughed again to clear his throat before taking a calming breath to shake the memory. " **Sorry about that, kinda dry in here."** He doubted they believed the flimsy excuse but no one pushed it and he continued. " **That happened before I had Aura so I got some… bad scarring."**

Weiss looked downwards, guilt written on her face "I-I'm sorry, I didn't-" She began trying to apologise but Jaune didn't let her get far.

" **It was a long time ago. Nothing to worry about."** he raised his hand gently to cut her off, he knew she was just being cautious and he couldn't blame her. Whitback would probably be twice as bad if someone reminded him of an enemy.

" **We should get some rest, classes start early tomorrow."**

\\-/

Roman never liked taking orders, it was part of the reason he left behind the Huntsmen and turned to a life of crime. That being said he liked dying even less than taking orders, so when Cinder Fall came to him with lien in one hand and death in the other, he chose to obey. That was until she started talking about an infiltration of Beacon Academy.

"I won't be apart of it, I don't care how much lien you pay me, I am not making a move against that school." Roman bluntly refused, trying to act calm but sweating profusely in fear. Cinder had proven she could wipe the floor with him, Neo and all his men single-handedly but what she was doing could bring something worse than death.

"What makes you think you have a choice?" the black haired woman glared menacingly at Roman, her red dress glowing with dust as a fire licked at her fingertips. Neo opened her umbrella, expecting a fight but Roman jumped between the pair.

"Just listen! You don't know what's in that school. I doubt even that fool Ozpin really knows." He had made sure to keep an eye pointed the school's direction ever since that day two years earlier, when he witnessed a true monster.

"So explain it to me." Cinder said curtly, sitting back down on the couch Roman kept out for his "business meetings". Neo closed her umbrella behind Roman while he took a long drag from his cigar, trying to think of the right words to describe what he saw.

"Two years ago about thirty of my best men were torn to shreds and eaten by a single Grimm." He hated the sick feeling he got in his stomach whenever he remembered seeing that freak biting into the corpses of his henchmen like a rabid animal.

"What a shame..." Her tone suggested it was anything but.

"This grimm was different. Called himself Jaune, walked and talked just like you and me. And it looks like old Oz recruited "Jaune"." Cinder only raised a curious eyebrow and Roman felt a touch of disappointment at the weak reaction his words got out of the woman.

"So you're saying you'd rather be burned alive than eaten?" Her gaze seemed to intensify and Roman sweatdropped. After a long pause Roman let out a long sigh "Fine, I'll help. Not like you're giving me much of a choice…"

Cinder ignored the grumbling and let a smile spread across her elegant features. "I'm glad you understand." He only groaned in response, clearly wishing he was anywhere else. "Don't worry so much, I'll handle your "Monster"." She teased while striding out of the room, leaving Roman to prepare for his contribution to the new world.

\\-/

Team RASY's day started out well enough, Jaune having woken everyone up an hour before classes to give his team plenty of time to prepare. The day only got complicated when, during a demonstration in Professor Port's class, Weiss snapped at Ruby and yelled at her to "Stop telling her what to do!".

The bell rang and Weiss stormed from the class before any from her team could stop her. "Jeez, wonder what crawled up her butt." Yang muttered and turned to her sister. "You alright?" She asked softly, seeing the hurt look that crossed her sister's face.

"I'm fine… I'll be right back" She said while clearly not being fine before chasing after Weiss, leaving Yang looking a bit dimmer. " **Should we go after them…?"** Jaune could sense the negativity coming from Yang now, as if it was spreading like a virus.

"Maybe later." Yang responded with a sad sigh. "Let's give them some time." Jaune felt a strange sense of deja-vu, had he seen this scene somewhere before? **It's fascinating seeing how another family interacts with each other, so different than yours and yet so very similar.** Whitback spoke more to himself than Jaune.

" **If you think it's best."** Jaune could only shrug at Yang, feeling helpless. " **I'm going to get some fresh air, I'll see you in dorm later"** He felt clearing his nose of the negative scent would help ease the anxious feeling in his chest.

He left the class feeling a bit discouraged, his first day with his team wasn't what he would call a rousing success. Was it normal for teams to be fighting on the first day? He didn't think so, but he didn't know what he could do about it.

" **Getting more practice with negativity than I expected…"** Jaune commented to himself while he wandered the school grounds, clearing his nose of that sickeningly sweet scent. **Don't be dramatic, the more you focus on the bits of negativity the bigger they will seem. It's only been one day.**

" **You're right."** He said and took a deep breath, attempting to push away the anxious thoughts. " **Let's find something to distract us."** He knew idling about would just lead to him overthinking everything and psyching himself out. **Well you're favorite Rose looks to be in a hurry, why not see why?**

" **What are you-"** Jaune stopped when he noticed Ruby through a window, walking with such determination Jaune had trouble catching up to her without running. He didn't sense negativity coming from her like when she left the classroom, which was a good sign in his book.

" **Hey Ruby!"** He caught her attention before closing the distance. " **Where are you headed in a such a hurry?"** He asked his partner with a friendly smile. **It's strange how much energy you put into your face when no one can see it.** Jaune ignored Whitback's comment and kept his attention on Ruby.

"Just to the library to uh, study stuff." She sounded unsure but determined and Jaune wondered if this had to do with the Weiss situation. " **Would you like some help?"** He offered, again with an unseen smile " **I've got a pretty good memory."**

The pair spent the rest of the day in the library, switching between history, math, and grimm studies. But when Ruby found out Jaune had never read a comic book before the fantastical literature was quickly added to the rotation for study.

Later that night, after Yang had fallen asleep, Jaune heard Weiss come into the dorm and gently wake Ruby who had fallen asleep with her books spread about her bunk. "Weiss! sorry I was just studying and-" Weiss interrupted Ruby's hushed apology suddenly, asking "How do you take you coffee?".

Weiss returned a moment later with a mug of coffee that was more sugar than coffee as something of a peace offering. "I'm… sorry for how I acted." Weiss said after a few awkward moments. "You do have what it takes to be a great leader." She admitted with an apologetic smile.

"Just know that I am going be the best teammate you will ever have."

\~/

 **And we have another chapter! Jaune draws a bit of attention with his emotion sensing but still not enough to cause real suspicions, though it may work against him when compounded with other stuff. I hope I wrote Weiss properly this chapter, I kept her interactions a bit more "canon" for now just because i felt this part of the story was caused by Weiss's personality mixed with Ruby being chosen leader. That being said I hope I added my enough of my own changes with Jaune and such to make it interesting! Also some foreshadowing with Roman and Cinder, the latter of which is far more interested in this unknown grimm than she is letting on (wink wink).**

 **Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh I was thinking the same thing! Maybe Pyrrha but I thought for sure if anyone would look past Jaune's grimm side it would be Ruby. I admit i didn't and still don't really plan on making a ship a focus but I'm thinking its more and more viable. I hope I'm not boring anyone with the lack of stuff happening, I plan on picking things up relatively quickly after this chapter but of course it mainly depends on what happens while i write. I also admit I also have a weak spot for the Grotesque Knight image, and that you are very much correct in thinking Jaune has a lot of potential for "evolution" so to speak. I would think he could make wings atm but without learning how a heavy grimm flies by devouring it, I dont think they would be any more than for show. I will also hopefully continue to power through with all of your support! thank you for the review!**

 **Sm0keyPanda thank you for the continued support! I love Yang's character, that fun loving adrenaline junky is kind of fun to write as! For Ruby's memory i admit to being a bit split. On one hand it was a five minutes encounter that happened years ago in the middle of the night so could have thought it was some kind of dream. On the other hand Qrow asks her to recount it to Oz and the encounter itself would probably leave a pretty big impression. I think I will do something along the lines of something reminding her (possibly Jaune mentioning whitback or her seeing the material change.) but nothing solid yet. Sorry for the long reply, the memory thing was something i was thinking about a lot on during this chapter. Thanks again for the support!**

 **Artjom435 I'm glad to hear I've improved! Reading you review I come to think you're correct! Jaune should still have a semblance, now i just have to think about what kind if semblance to give him and how to intergrate it as I honestly didn't plan on giving him one (My bad ) I would love to hear you suggestion on a semblance!(and anyone else who might be reading this too!). I would say Weiss does remember seeing Jaune's grimm material and face while also hearing his voice frenzied voice so I would say you assessment is spot on! Same with blake though at this point its entirely possible she recognizes Jaune right off the bat with his voice and strength, if not right away than not soon after as I think of Blake as very perceptive. With Jaune and military i would say 50/50? I think. I mean Jaune doesn't require any physical training and he is already awake at dawn because he doesnt actaully sleep. With authority though I would agree that he would follow the leader, especially after the mistakes with James. Sorry for the ramble! Hope to hear what you think!**

 **The Menace Within I see your point and i have to agree, at the train station Even Jaune is very intense for a child. I admit my writing skills with children is sub-par so I will have to ask more opinions next time I write children in my stories! Thanks for the pointers, I hope that didn't ruin the story for you!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Took a bit but we're finally properly in beacon, Thank you all for continuing to read!**

\~/

Chapter 16

"Well done Ruby." Glynda called out after a loud buzzer signaled an end to the match, then she turned to the fallen student. "Cardin, when an opponent is faster you have to focus on where they will be, not where they are." She instructed before turning back to the rest of the students watching just outside the sparring area. "The same goes for grimm. Most enemies have trouble changing trajectory mid-dash, use it to your advantage."

It was only the second day of school but Glynda was pleased the majority of her students showed potential, some more than others but that was besides the point. She tapped at her scroll to see who hadn't had a chance to spar yet, there was still a few by the looks of it but they were still making good time all things considered.

Glynda noted that Pyrrha was one of the students who hadn't fought yet and thought for a moment how a tournament Champion could be fairly tested. she could be matched against a full team to even things out, but hadn't Qrow said Jaune was becoming a force to reckon with? There was only one way to find out for certain.

"Jaune, Pyrrha? Could you two get your weapons and come up next?" She asked while making a few adjustments to her scroll. She would need to manual set Jaune's aura level during the fight since the boy had none, an easy trick that also worked to balance out his seemingly infinite stamina.

Glynda expected students to suspect something but most would hopefully come to the conclusion of a strange semblance. That was only if Jaune could hide his more grimm aspects.

"Ma'am?" A student drew her attention from her scroll.

"Yes Weiss?" Jaune and Pyrrha had already left to get their weapons when Weiss spoke up. "Is it really fair to put someone against a regional champion one on one?" it was a fair question, none of the other students had ever heard of Jaune and most would have seen Pyrrha fight on TV.

"We shall soon see Miss Schnee, but I believe Mr Arc will be fine." Or rather she believe anyone who had spent two years training with Qrow and Ozpin must be used to fighting skilled opponents. Jaune and Pyrrha came back into the room shortly after and made their way onto the large sparring "ring".

"Good luck Jaune!" Ruby called out supportively. "Yea try not to get your butt kicked too hard, you'll make us look bad!" Yang yelled out with a teasing smirk.

despite how loud Jaune's team was they were quiet compared to the orange haired girl on Pyrrha's team yelling "You got this Pyrrha! Break his legs!"

\\-/

Jaune had never been in a fight quite like this before and it both excited and terrified him. He had trained with Qrow to fight more like a "human" many times but that was just that, training. This fight was different. This time they fought not only to learn, but to win.

 **Would you like my help?** Whitback asked, Jaune had come a long way on his own but they were still far better when they fought together. " **Let me try alone first."** He replied quietly, he had trained hard and wanted to see just how he compared to other first years without Whitback's help.

Jaune planted his feet firmly, raised his shield and prepared his sword at his side. The large screen that displayed the aura levels switched to a timer and counted down from five. Pyrrha stepped into her own stance and Jaune noted just how confident and comfortable she looked with a small smile playing on her lips.

The timer hit zero and Pyrrha took off like a bullet, smashing into Jaune's shield in an attempt to knock it out of the way. He was surprised at the amount of force she mustered but it wasn't enough to open his defense and he easily blocked the follow up strike causing her to retreat momentarily.

 **Looks like she's already figured out she can't overpower us.** Whitback commented just as her short sword extended into something more akin to a spear. She leapt at Jaune with a flurry of attacks that he struggled to keep in front of his shield, relying on his armor to block a stab or two. She wasn't as fast or strong as Qrow but the gap wasn't nearly as wide as he was hoping it'd be.

 **You've lost ten percent of your "aura" already. Are you sure you don't want my help?** Jaune wouldn't give in that easily, pushing forward with his shield and connecting with Pyrrha's shield. With another hard push he sent her flying backwards before rushing forward like a freight train and sending forth a devastating swipe of his own.

His blade slammed and grinded across the surface of Pyrrha's shield as she redirected it rather than taking the full force. Jaune didn't try and stop his body's momentum, spinning around and smacking her shield aside with his own. She leaned backwards to dodge his follow up attack and followed through into a backflip, delivering a swift kick to his chin.

They continued going back and forth for awhile longer, Pyrrha using her superior agility and skill to her advantage while Jaune used his immense strength and speed to keep up. **Your meter hit fifty percent Jaune, she's still at seventy five. You're losing, let me help.** Jaune struggled to dodge a slash to his face with his attention on Whitback.

" **Whitback hush…!"** Jaune hissed under his breath while giving a swipe of his own only to miss and get a shield bashed against his face. **forty five percent. Please Jaune, Let me show what we're capable of.** Whitback sounded almost desperate, reminding Jaune he wasn't the only one who trained for the past two years.

Jaune almost wanted to apologise for stopping Whitback from fighting but with Pyrrha closing the distance for another barrage he instead whispered " **Whitback protect me."**. Whitback wasted no time in picking up the slack as their minds melded together.

They lunged forward suddenly with their shield in front of them like a battering ram, surprising Pyrrha who raised her shield up with preternatural speed just in time to catch the heavy blow. The concussive force alone was enough to damage her Aura and knock her back a few feet but they were more curious how she moved so quickly and withstood such a powerful blow.

Whitback noted how a dim black glow formed around her shield when she moved it but Jaune refocused their attention on the current task. They tried to push past her defense forcefully but her weapon kept extending and pushing his attacks off course.

The two forms of her weapon gave her an advantage at both close and longer ranges, the short sword moving much quicker and the spear reaching much further than they could. Jaune's longsword was a reliable weapon but it was working against them now, so they abandoned it without a second thought.

They weren't nearly as well practiced in hand-to-hand combat but the sudden change in style threw Pyrrha off and gave them just the opening they were hoping for. They delivered a powerful uppercut followed by a roundhouse kick before Pyrrha could raise her shield, sending her flying across the room while her aura fell to critical levels from the brutal attack.

Jaune hesitated for a second, had he gone too far and used too much strength? The sudden spear that smacked into his chest told him of how wrong he was. Before they could go any further however a loud buzzer sounded.

"That's enough!" Glynda's voice stopped either student from attacking. "Very well done you two, the victory goes to Pyrrha." Jaune looked at the screen, seeing his Aura just under twenty five percent while Pyrrha's sat around thirty percent.

 **Less than five percent… This feels... Much worse than losing to Qrow.**

 **\\-/**

"Pyrrha. That. Was. Awesome!" Nora exclaimed happily while team NNBL (Nebula) made their way down the halls for lunch. "You were moving so fast that masked guy could barely keep up!"

"Nora's right, you judged his strength and worked at his weakness the whole time." Ren agreed with a nod. Pyrrha nodded and thanked them but her thoughts kept returning to Jaune's fighting style, and how it suddenly changed mid-fight. Almost like he had been holding back.

"I smell pancakes!" Nora called out suddenly before rushing off towards the cafeteria while dragging Ren behind her, a resigned look on his face. Pyrrha chuckled and went to chase after the odd pair but stopped when she noticed her partner trailing behind, too deep in thought to notice her team's antics.

"Is everything alright Blake?" The black haired girl had been nice to Pyrrha and thankfully didn't fawn over her like some of her fans/classmates did. She wanted to return the kindness she was shown.

"Hmm? Yea sorry, just thinking about… Nothing important." Blake tried to shrug it off but Pyrrha didn't believe her. People didn't think that hard about something that wasn't bothering them but what could she say?

"If you're sure." Even if she didn't believe Blake, Pyrrha didn't want to push her to talk about something if she didn't want to. Pyrrha turned to continue after Nora but Blake stopped her just as she did.

"Did you notice anything strange when fighting Jaune?" Pyrrha wasn't sure what Blake meant exactly, semblances made fighting most people rather strange and unique. "Well he was a lot stronger than I expected, he must have some kind of strength semblance and I've never seen armor and weapons quite like his." She scratched her head, trying to think of anything else that stood out.

"He might also be religious, or superstitious. During the fight he asked for protection from something or someone he called "Whitback"." She had never heard of anything called "Whitback" before but the way Jaune said it made her think it was something akin to a guardian angel. "Why do you ask?"

"Like I said, it isn't really important… Just thought I recognized his voice is all."

\\-/

Later that night, as everyone began winding down to sleep, Blake found herself unable to relax and close her eyes. Her thoughts kept spinning around as old, painful memories she had hoped to leave behind started to resurface. The Jaune in her class was the same one that she had damned to burn so many years ago, she was certain of it.

The guilt she thought was finally fading came flooding back the moment she heard his voice, but that's why she was at Beacon! To have a chance to make things right. Yet the guilt persisted and kept her mind running in circles.

"Guess I'll get some air…" She mumbled to herself before quietly dressing and making her way outside. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, she tried to shake the anxious feeling in her chest and calm her thoughts enough to sleep.

While wandering around the school grounds a familiar white cloak caught her attention. "What are you doing out so late…?" She wondered out loud and silently started following Jaune as he made his way away from the school, towards the Emerald forest.

She thought about approaching him but had no idea what she would say, so she continued to follow him until he stopped right at the edge of the forest. Turning around suddenly Blake struggled to slip behind a nearby tree and remain out of sight.

" **I know you're there. Why are you following me? Who are you?"** He spoke clearly without sounding particularly surprised or angry but Blake still felt her heart skip a beat. Coming out of her hiding spot, Blake wished she could gage his reaction but his mask covered anything overt.

" **Blake…?"** He sounded confused but he clearly recognized her. Blake wasn't sure what to say, did she want to apologise? or ask what he was doing at Beacon? " **I... didn't expect to see you here."**

"I-" She wasn't sure what she wanted to say, she felt guilty and wanted to ask for forgiveness but what right did she have? Even if she hadn't personally killed his family she still failed to stop it before running away and abandoning him.

"Why didn't you kill me?" He cocked his head at her abrupt question. "Two years ago, you had the chance, and every right, to get revenge but you let me go. You spared the person that left you to die." She still remembered how Jaune glared at her, with the eyes of a monster, crying like a lost child.

" **I… You helped me see what was really happening."** Jaune spoke after a short pause to gather his thoughts. " **Killing only caused others the same pain I felt. It doesn't fix anything, doesn't bring about any peace and doesn't bring anyone back."**

" **It only causes more pain."**

Blake wasn't sure how to respond, how had she helped him see that? Did that mean he forgave her, or just didn't want to kill her? "That's… a pretty good reason." She relented.

"But wait. What are you doing going at the emerald forest so late?" Jaune shrugged and scratched the back of his head with an awkward chuckle. " **Well after that fight with Pyrrha… let's just say I need some practice."** He sounded almost disappointed in himself.

"Well if you went all out, I doubt Pyrrha could dodge all those tendrils." Blake still remembered trying to fight him and how those tendrils attacked out of nowhere. "Which reminds me, why are you hiding your abilities? Is the council continuing to hide you from the public?"

" **The council?"** Again Jaune cocked his head to the side, showing his confusion. " **I don't know anything about a council, Ja-"** he stopped suddenly and tried to backtrack. " **I mean I was told to keep my scarier powers secret to avoid accidentally starting a panic."**

Blake raised a curious eyebrow, he wasn't an experiment of the councils? She wanted to ask further but he clearly wasn't supposed to talk about it. "That makes sense, I guess a lot of people would judge you purely because you look like grimm." She already got the answers she wanted, she wouldn't push for more.

"I'm going to go try sleeping again, good luck with your training." She excused herself and turned to start walking away. " **Thanks, and Blake?"** She stopped and he spoke as softly as his harsh voice would allow.

" **You don't need to feel so guilty, we all make mistakes. And we all deserve a second chance. Try to let go of that negativity."**

 **\~/**

 **Not much to say about this chapter, I'm still a bit unsure if I'm doing things right but I hope I continued the story properly! More suspicion growing, more clues spread for someone to find and something of a conclusion for our lovely cat faunus, though of course she will still have issues with the white fang! Last time i was a little off and forgot to add the chapter up top and my normal goodbyes! Shameful display I know and I apologies. I wish you all a good day/morning/evening/night and everything in between.**

 **Sm0keyPanda you're probably right! to his teammates eyes Jaune stays awake the latest but is up the earliest, doesn't eat much (Though i suppose he could very easily fake that(then again his mask would make that hard)) plus he draws attention to himself pretty often. If you're not busy, let me know the things you believe will get Jaune caught! you'd very likely give me inspiration! As always I thank you for your review and support!**

 **Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh a good foundation is the bases for all good works! ship wise I'm glad to hear you agree, I may do other relationships just because i believe we as humans have a tendency to require someone to rely on *exceptions to every rule* but it depends how things grow! As for the flying he did technically "fly" for already on a bunch of makeshift wings Whitback threw together, though that was more falling with(out) style. Either way it gives me a bit of a clearer image on what might happen later on, especially with a certain massive dragon. I hope you're doing okay! Death is not so kind a legacy to leave behind. I hope to hear from you again soon! keep your head up!**

 **Jaune Brando lol I feel like I'm missing out on a reference But I always appreciate a review! Thank ya kindly!**

 **Specter343 Blake is here! hope I made worked things out properly and didn't make Blake too non-canon. I think Cinder would put up one hell of a fight, her flames being useful but its hard to say how effective they would be. I shall think on it! Hope you continue to enjoy the story, Thank you for the review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry I'm a bit late, tough week. Hope you enjoy!**

\~/

It was the first weekend since classes started and Jaune was spending most of it training in the emerald forest, a habit from the previous two years of constant training. He tried to invite his team but Weiss was busy drilling Ruby in history and Yang said she had something to take care of in Vale.

Alone in the forest, he swung his sword at the air and raised his shield to block the imaginary counter-attack. He needed to be faster, Pyrrha had used her speed to win so it only made sense that he would need to improve what caused his failure. **You're not going to get better fighting the air you know, let me help provide a target.**

" **No!"** Jaune stopped Whitback as he felt material begin moving. " **What if someone comes by and sees me fighting a clone of myself huh?"** Jaune already drew a lot of attention with bizzare rumors about him already circulating around school. **We're in the middle of the forest Jaune, who in the world is going to see us? The beowolves?**

 **BOOM**

A gunshot more akin to a cannon went off as if the devil himself was listening to Whitback. An instant later the bullet struck Jaune with tremendous force, the following explosion told of the amount of dust that had been packed into the single round.

Whitback was quick to act, cutting off the damaged cells and working to reform the sword arm that was blown clean off. Jaune was grateful his body no longer felt pain nearly as intensely as normal, else he might not have recovered so quickly.

Charging forward with his shield raised, Jaune didn't waste time rushing towards where the bullet were coming from. Another shot echoed and the ground at Jaune's feet erupted in a cloud of lethal shrapnel, taking off any freshly formed material that didn't have the chance to re-harden yet.

Whitback gave up trying to reform Jaune's sword arm and instead worked on reinforcing the shield, making it thicker and large enough to reach their feet. Another shot smashed against the growing shield, making a large dent and charring the area around it but doing little overall damage.

" **What do we do?!"** Jaune had spent so much time with close and mid range fighting that he had no idea how to handle what felt like cannon fire coming from so far. **Stay calm, I think I think I can tell where the shots are coming from.**

Another shot rock their wall-like shield. " **Then what?! Gonna throw a sword at him?"** Jaune didn't mean to sound so rude but losing an arm and being pelted with hellfire had him panicking a bit. **Basically.**

With the shield giving them a breather, Whitback formed Jaune's arm with a spear that looked suspiciously similar to Pyrrha's. Whitback waited for another shot to hit before making an opening in the shield and throwing the spear with as much force as it could muster.

The following crash and cease in gunfire spoke volumes of Whitback's accuracy. " **Good shot…"** Jaune mumbled as Whitback pulled the shield back inside and fixed their armor so it looked like nothing happened.

After a short run they came across the body of a female, dog eared faunus laying face down with Whitback's spear on one side and a massive sniper rifle on the other. **An anti-material rifle? Whoever sent her knew small-arms wouldn't work on us.**

" **Looks her aura saved her life."** Jaune pointed out when he noticed the girl's chest moving, filling Jaune with an odd sense of relief. **I could try searching her memories while I use her biomass to replace what she destroyed.**

" **We're not killing her, she's not a threat anymore."** Jaune wasn't learning how to be a Huntsman just to go back to being an animal. **She was trying to kill us, chances are she will try again as soon as she's able.**

" **Stop it Whitback. We're taking her to Ozpin."** Jaune could understand Whitback's defensive behaviour, She did tried to kill them, but he still didn't agree with it. Flipping the body over only proved to complicate things more when a shining white grimm mask shone brightly on the assassin's face.

" **of course…"** Jaune groaned to himself, he already guessed the White-Fang would learn about him when Adam escaped but he didn't think they would risk getting so close to Beacon. **I still think it would be better to get rid of her now.**

" **I know Whitback…"** He sighed to himself while lifting the faunus in one arm and her rifle in the other before making his way back to campus. He was grateful most of the students didn't spend their weekend wandering school grounds, else he might have had some awkward questions to answer.

Walking through the elevator into Ozpin's office, Jaune was relieved to see the headmaster at his desk with Glynda to his side. Both looked at Jaune with a curious expression "I take it you're not here for school business." Ozpin motioned to the unconscious form in Jaune's arm and took a sip of coffee.

" **Not exactly…"** Jaune put the faunus down face-up so the two adults could see her grimm mask. " **We have a bit of a problem."** Ozpin raised an eyebrow and lowered his cup while Glynda kept her face stoney but the anger that radiated from her caught Jaune a bit off guard.

"Terrorists dare attack my students…" Glynda hissed under her breath and glared daggers at the assassin before raising her riding crop to focus her semblance. The assassin suddenly jerked upwards into the air and was put into a nearby chair none too gently.

"What happened?" Ozpin asked calmly while Glynda restrained their new prisoner who was still failing to regain consciousness. " **I was training in the emerald forest when she attacked with this thing"** Jaune stated and dropped the rifle he had been carrying on Ozpin's desk, the length of the barrel overhanging the edge. " **Whitback stopped her."**

"Clearly." Ozpin said while Glynda tried and failed to wake the prisoner. **What is he going to do with her? And about the White-Fang attacking us?** Whitback asked and Jaune relayed the questions.

"She is going to be taken to the police, interrogated and incarcerated until her day in court. As for the White-Fang." He paused to think for a moment "Well there isn't much we can do without Adam's location, assuming Adam is the one who sent this assassin."

The White-Fang was a massive organization with many different branches and members, there's no telling how far word spread of who Jaune wass and what he did to hundreds of White-Fang.

 **That's not good enough.** Whitback couldn't accept that, Jaune was at risk and they would do nothing? **Let me see the prisoner.** It didn't ask but demanded. " **Whitback we can't-" NO! I am not asking!** Whitback was uncharacteristically forceful, forcing Jaune to take a moment to process what it had said.

 **This woman tried to kill you! Do you not understand that?! What if next time they send more people with bigger guns? Do you think we're invincible?!** Jaune didn't know what to say, mostly because that's exactly what he thought. " **...We're not…?"**

 **NO! We need biomass to recover and live! What happens if they find a way to isolate us and destroy us from afar? We cannot let this problem keep getting bigger.** Whitback felt like he was beating itself against a steel wall, it couldn't understand how Jaune failed to see the risk.

Jaune's frown deepened, He could see Whitback's point, but didn't… couldn't accept killing as the better option, not anymore. " **We. are not. killing her."** silence followed and Jaune almost turned his attention back to Ozpin and Glynda.

 **Fine, I wont kill her.** Whitback stopped him. **But we're not doing nothing. Let me have control.** Jaune hesitated, he wasn't sure if he could trust Whitback to hold back. **I have never broken my word and I don't plan on starting now. She wont die.** Jaune didn't like how specific it was but he relented " **If you're sure…"**

Whitback walked towards the unconcious girl and Glynda raised a hand to stop them, a bit nervous about the instability displayed. "Jaune what are you-" Ozpin placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her and continued observing what Jaune and Whitback were doing.

Raising their hand, Whitback pulled the grimm mask off the young woman and pressed their palm against her forehead. A moment later their gauntlet melted away and the blackened veins covering their hand extended further, easily breaking the already severely weakened aura and pushing into their victim's flesh.

The assassin jerked forward suddenly, eyes bulging and muscles tensing as Whitback entered her bloodstream and went straight for her brain. Her veins visible darkened and Jaune felt a strange dizziness, then his vision blurred and reality seemed to shift suddenly.

Feelingd that were not his own suddenly bombarded him, fear and pain among the strongest but he didn't feel his mind become hazy like negativity tended to do. Instead the feelings only sharpened until thoughts that were not his own began swimming around his head.

' _-out of my head! You aren't real!'_ The new "voice" in his mind screamed angrily, it had to be the woman's but what did Whitback do? Jaune tried to say something but he couldn't feel his mouth or any other part of his body.

" **I am very much a reality, and in this reality I am everything there is."** Whitback's voice was clear and curt, revealing nothing. ' _What do you mean?/ you aren't real, this is just a dream./ can't think straight./ feels like spiders in my head!'_ her thoughts were racing and jumbled, unable to slow or focus.

" **Who sent you?"** Jaune could feel Whitback putting pressure on her, influencing her mind and body. Whitback forced her adrenal glands to increase production, sending her into a panicked state and keeping her from orientation herself and fighting back.

' _I-I don't want to die./ can't stop the itching!/ Adam would kill me./ can't betray him.'_ Jaune could hear her struggle to process what was happening, her feelings of fear, confusion and anger boiled over and threatened to make Jaune sick.

" **Why did Adam wait so long to attack?"** Whitback pricked at all her pain receptors one by one, simulating the feeling of being cut over and over. ' _Have to get away./ They're killing me!/ Why did he listen to that Woman!?'_ Even without a body Jaune still felt something cold well up at his core, this was wrong and he yet he couldn't do anything to stop it. Why didn't Ozpin or Glynda step in and do something?

" **What did he tell you?"** Whitback pushed harder, limiting oxygen flow to the brain and slowing her down but making her more compliant in the process.

' _Please stop… What's happening to me…? he said he found brother's killer…'_ The lack of oxygen caused her thoughts to slow and quiet but they continued to ring in Jaunes mind over and over.

Was this punishment for his crimes?

\\-/

"We shouldn't be allowing this." Glynda stated to Ozpin while Jaune stood rigid as opposed to the prisoner who twitched and convulsed uncontrollably. Glynda noticed how the blackened veins spread throughout the poor woman's body but focused around the head. "This is wrong."

"Do you remember James' reports? The ones concerning White-Fang prisoners?" Ozpin didn't take his eyes off Jaune while talking, his face void of emotion. "You know as well as I that any member that the White-Fang, aside from recruits, don't talk easily."

"Even so, this is going too far. Look at her" Glynda motioned to the assassin who continued to suffer through a nightmare unlike any other. "Would you say a month with a police interrogator is any better than a few minutes of agony?" When terror could draw a swarm of grimm, city officials were quick to encourage law enforcement to use any method that could prevent an attack.

"They attacked him in the emerald forest but what if they come closer? What if they brought five rifles with such explosive power closer to school?" He didn't need to say any more, Glynda understood.

Jaune could regrow and recover from seemingly any wound but what if other student got caught in the cross-fire? Even a skilled student would be at a disadvantage against such firepower, a single direct hit could be enough to send aura levels critical.

Jaune twitched slightly after several minutes and the blackened veins started to retreat and withdraw back into him. As the last bit of material receded the assassin took a gasp of air before falling off the chair while Jaune staggered backwards in a daze.

"Jaune?" Ozpin tried to get his attention while putting a hand on his shoulder and trying to steady him. "Are you alright?"

" **That took a lot out of us, we just need to rest…"** Jaune responded in a calm, almost robotic tone of voice. "Whitback? What happened to Jaune?" Ozpin asked while Glynda checked the prisoners vitals and prepared her for transport.

" **He's… Coming to terms."** Whitback said carefully, worrying both Glynda and Ozpin. Ozpin felt guilt prick at him but he still believed he chose the lesser of two evils. "What did you learn?"

" **Adam sent her, just like I had believed but she thought of something strange. She believed it was a woman who ordered the attack through Adam."**

"It could be Sienna Khan, their leader." That would suggest the leader of the White-Fang wanted Jaune dead, Ozpin hoped that wasn't the case.

" **No… I got the impression this assassin didn't think she should be taking orders from whoever the woman was. I believe there's a person or group of people that is separate from the White-Fang, that somehow convinced, forced or coerced Adam into attacking."**

Ozpin thought of only a few groups or people that could influence high-ranking White-Fang members into action but only one of them would have an interest in Jaune or more specifically the unique type of grimm inside him. It was only a chance at this point but if Salem's group was involved… Well Ozpin would much rather deal with Sienna and the White-Fang.

" **If that's everything."** Whitback said with a slight nod before turning and walking into the elevator, all without taking a second glance to the woman it tortured.

"That was a mistake…" Glynda said quietly once the elevator left.

\\-/

Whitback leaned heavily against the wall of the elevator, its body feeling much heavier than normal. tapping into a human brain without causing serious physical harm was not an easy task. Made none the easier by Jaune's reluctance and his insistence on sparing a clear threat his life.

" **Jaune? Can you hear me?"** It tried to prod but Jaune either couldn't hear or was ignoring it on purpose. Either way he left Whitback with full control of an exhausted body that wanted nothing more than to collapse.

"Jaune?" Whitback was caught off guard by the voice and his hands morphed into claws beneath his cloak instinctively. " **Blake?"** How did it not sense her? Was it really so tired that it didn't hear her footsteps, smell her scent or sense her Aura? It calmed itself and fixed its hand, grateful the cloak covered its mistake. " **What are you doing here?"**

"I thought I saw… Something a bit strange." She said cautiously. "Were you carrying something before you went up there?" She motioned to Ozpin's office and Whitback suppressed the spike in its frustration, it was not a fan of acting.

" **No."** It stated simply " **Weiss is waiting to study with me, I need to get going."** It was a simple lie that Whitback hoped would get it out of the situation quickly. "Um sure. Of course." She spoke stiffly, eyeing it curiously while moving aside for it to pass.

Whitback quickly made its way to their team's dorm, making sure to avoid any other students along the way. Once inside the room Whitback didn't spare a glance to the studying Weiss or Ruby before falling into the bed.

"Tough day?" Ruby asked, looking up from her textbooks. " **You could say that…"** It mumbled quietly, already starting to put itself into a kind of hibernation to recover Jaune and itself.

It might be more vulnerable while in such a state but it could still react if something disturbed them and they needed the time for Jaune's Aura to replenish the energy Whitback needed to function regularly.

"You know I don't think I've actually see-" It didn't hear anymore as for the first time since its conception, Whitback fell asleep.

\~/

 **I hope I kept this chapter cohesive, some new things Whitback is doing and I hope I introduced them properly and explained them without buggering it up. I plan on going into more detail with the energy and aura thing but in case I don't describe it properly (Or forget ) If you think of it as a health bar, it's constantly degrading and Whitback needs to constantly consume Jaune's aura to stay at full. But what he did drained it far quicker than normal so he needs to slow the degradation a different way to compensate for the added need of energy, thus sleeping. Finished ramble explanation bs, sorry bout that. Please let me know if you think it's fecked to hell! as always I hope you all have a good day/night.**

 **ps. sorry for the bad grammar with its and it's, turns out using "it" as a pronoun kinda screws with my autocorrect.**

 **chendong2698 I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it! I always appreciate the encouragement and oftentimes need it. Thanks for staying interested!**

 **Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh Glad to hear you're still kicking! I will do my very best, the main reason I don't do it is because I believe I'm very good at capturing proper human "chemistry" in writing, basically I worry it would sound too superficial or forced. That being said I do very much like the potential chemistry Ruby and Jaune have with their personalities! I'm happy to hear you agree with Jaune's and whitback's "powerlevel" so to speak because i did worry that i'd gone overboard with the numbers but with this chapter it might make more sense for aura to be considered a bit weaker than canon as a shield. maybe. Anywho I hope you enjoy this chapter despite the distinct lack of rouge! Next chapter should be far more interesting in that sense! Hope to keep hearing from ya!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Been far to long I know, sorry! If you're curious why I left it in the note below, otherwise I hope you all like this chapter!**

\~/

 **Chapter 18**

"You went way too far." Jaune called out into the darkness of his mind, he wanted to be angry but the whole ordeal left him exhausted both physically and emotionally. " **I'm sorry Jaune, it wasn't my intention for you to suffer her pain."** Whitback attempted to explain, trying to keep its voice neutral.

"That isn't what I meant and you know it." Jaune said with a hint of irritation. "What we did… The way we treated that woman… It was wrong, no excuses." Using the bodies senses against itself like Whitback did was monstrous. "I wanted to help people, not torture them!"

" **And what was the alternative?! Just leave her be?"** Whitback fired back immediately " **To what? Rot in prison or face execution at the hands of the very humans she despised so much? All the while trying to escape and kill us!"** Whitback mirrored Jaune's irritation, it was not going to back down. " **Even in the best case you would still have to deal with Adam sending more assassins, we needed information."**

"We came to this school to learn to be Huntsmen, to save others. Not to save ourselves, if Adam sent more we could have stopped them like we did this one." They were getting stronger everyday, Jaune was confident they could handle whatever was sent against them.

" **This was the first attempt, and it showed how much he learned from a single encounter with us. I don't know how durable we are but I am not willing to test it if it means putting us in danger!"** Whitback was clearly frustrated but Jaune couldn't bring himself to accept what they did was anything other than a horrible mistake.

Whitback could tell his words weren't having an effect so he changed tactics, an argument was just a verbal fight after all. " **What if others got involved? What if we were training with our team when that assassin attacked."** It pointed out and Jaune felt himself freeze up.

" **Not only would your secret be out but they would be caught in the crossfire. You can lose an arm and bounce back but them, they could be crippled for life."** Jaune didn't reply at first, trying to think how he could prove Whitback's methods were wrong.

"We're supposed to be the good guys Whitback, we're not supposed to cause suffering and pain." Jaune knew he was losing but what else could he do? Close his eyes and pretend he didn't allow an invasive attack on a helpless victim? All of it was his fault and yet the woman he left without a family was forced to pay the price.

" **I'm sorry Jaune, but you can't save everyone."**

 **\\-/**

Jaune woke up with a start, snapping into a sitting position and looking around the dark room. He saw Yang and Weiss sleeping peacefully in their beds but he was distracted by the headache that plagued him. He felt sluggish and found himself yawning despite his anatomy.

 **We've not recovered yet, we should rest for a bit longer.** Jaune ignored Whitback's warning and got out of bed with only a slight stumble before reaching to his nightstand for his scroll. The digital clock told him it was just past midnight, was it really so late? He had forgotten how fast time went by when sleeping, did he actually do this every night before Whitback? The memories were so foggy it was hard to remember.

He didn't want to go back to sleep, his mind was churning over what Whitback said and he wanted to at least try thinking of a better way. Jaune made his way out of the the room while sliding his scroll into a makeshift pocket in his armor, he felt the need to keep moving as if it would move his thoughts along too.

Jaune waited until he was outside to start talking, not wanting to wake others or have any misunderstandings about his sanity.

" **..."** Nothing came out, what could he say? Whitback was right; if they didn't do anything, next time it might not be him who loses an arm.

With a sigh he turned around and sat against a tree while closing his eyes, the weary feeling almost keeping him from noticing the red cloak that was approaching. " **Ruby? What are you doing up so late?"** Jaune asked while looking up at the young Huntress.

"I couldn't sleep." She offered and sat next to Jaune, sliding her cloak underneath her for a makeshift seat. "And you were mumbling in your sleep." She added, causing Jaune to feel a touch of panic in his chest.

" **Mumbling…? W-what did I say?"** He asked cautiously, did he really talk in his sleep? Did she hear him say something about the woman? What would she think if she found out what he had done?

"Nothing clearly but you did say a name." She scratched her head, as if trying to figure out something to say. "A name that reminded me of a boy I met once when I was younger."

A light flickered in Jaune's mind as he realized she finally remembered their first meeting. And seeing as how she wasn't running away he hoped that meant her morals hadn't changed much since then.

" **To be honest, I was hoping you'd remember sooner rather than later."** He said while reaching for his mask. " **I hate having to lie so much."** After a moment of contact the mask disappeared into his fingers and he turned to Ruby with a nervous smile.

"You look tired." She said suddenly, surprising Jaune. **Nonsense, our flesh looks the same as always. How could she notice our fatigue?** Whitback sounded confused. " **What do you mean?"**

"Your eyes look like they are struggling to stay open, even your voice sounds more tired than I've ever heard during hours of training and studying." Ruby explained, staring at Jaune who could only lean back against the tree and close his eyes.

" **I didn't know you were so perceptive…"** He let out a long breath, feeling exhaustion weighing down on him as he began to doze slightly. They sat side by side against the tree for some time in silence, Ruby beginning to join Jaune in his semi conscious state.

" **Hey Ruby?"** Jaune spoke as quietly as he could and she acknowledged him with a soft hum. " **If it meant protecting people, would you hurt someone?"** Ruby blinked awake at the odd question and looked to Jaune only to see his mask replaced, covering his features once again.

"What do you mean? Like how we fight criminals?" She tried to clarify, unsure what Jaune meant by the question. He shook his head.

" **What if somehow, someone you loved was going to be seriously hurt and could even die"** Jaune spoke slowly, trying to properly explain without giving away what had happened.

" **And the only way to save the person was to seriously hurt someone else, someone you didn't really know anything about."** Ruby went silent for a few minutes, her head turned downwards as she thought of an answer.

"I guess I would try my best to find another way, and if that wasn't possible…" She paused for a moment, a conflicted look crossing her eyes. "Well I would do anything to protect my sister but…" She trailed off, unable to finish. "I-I don't know…" She said quietly.

" **Ya..."** Jaune mumbled under his breath. " **Me neither…".**

 **\\-/**

Within the remains of an abandoned warehouse, somewhere in the industrial district, Cinder Fall sat with a calm smile on her face while Adam Taurus looked as tense as always beside her. In front of them Roman Torchwick worked on setting a recording to play on a large screen, cursing quietly about having to do grunt work without actually confronting the terrifying pair.

"This had better be worth it" Adam commented idly. "I don't enjoy sending my people on suicide missions." The faunus was clearly unhappy about having to use one of his marksmen as a "test" for something he already knew was dangerous

Roman didn't help when saying "Bet she didn't cost you half as much as the rifle I lost." It was difficult for him to give such a fine piece of hardware to some lackey he never met and it was downright painful to hear the filthy condition it was in when Neo retrieved the recording hidden inside from the police station.

"Gentleman!" Cinder silenced both of them before an argument could start. "If you two are finished bickering, I have yet to see this "monster" and my patience is wearing thin. So Roman, if you don't mind." She motioned to the screen while leveling a threatening glare to the man. The screen lit up a moment later, showing a video feed from the Rifle's scope.

No one said a word as the video played, lasting only a few seconds before ending abruptly.

"I didn't think it could strike from that far away…" Adam trailed off while thinking to himself, last he saw the abomination it relied upon a blade and tendrils. Could it's tendrils reach that far, or had it thrown it's weapon?

"So is this what you call "handling my monster"?" Roman attempted to mock Cinder but she was far too distracted to notice.

"Play it again" She stated with her eyes transfixed on the screen and a smile growing on her lips. Roman shivered slightly, the intensity of her stare denying any further arguments.

Cinder knew grimm could come in all shapes and sizes, Salem was proof of that, and as such she wasn't surprised to hear Roman's and Adam's stories of Jaune. They made it clear she was dealing with a monster but never before had she seen a grimm's armor plating move so freely that it could replace muscle and skin, the potential was astounding. Salem had to see this recording.

"This changes things." Cinder made her way to the screen and plugged her Scroll into it. "I want both of you to keep your heads down and continue business as usual while I deal with the "monster" Jaune Arc." She downloaded the video while carefully explaining what she wanted. "This little development will not delay our schedule."

"Very well, but don't take too long. That thing has killed hundreds of my people, he must be punished." Adam didn't trust the smile Cinder had but he wouldn't challenge her yet. She had already proven to be too much to handle on his own, but if she failed to punish this criminal he may be able to force her to answer to the entirety of the White Fang.

Roman just let out a defeated sigh and mumbled his agreement, waiting until he had the room to himself before lighting up a large cigar. "Damnit Roman, what have you gotten yourself into this time…" He blew out a cloud of smoke, praying to whatever god or devil that might listen "Please just let one, or both of them be hit by an Atlassian warship. Is that too much to ask!?"

\\-/

The sun had barely begun to rise when James Ironwood took a sip from his third cup of coffee that morning while scanning over scouting reports. The amount of Grimm activity had been increasing over the past few years and James was struggling to grasp at the reason. Was this Salem's doing? Or was it the climbing crime rate and subsequent negativity that drew the grimm?

Feeling sleep start to slow his thoughts encouraged James enough to down the rest of his mug's contents in an effort to stave of the rising need for a nap. Putting the empty cup down and looking at all the remaining reports he needed to sort through brought only one thought to mind; He needed more coffee.

"I'll be back." He said to Winter while she continued to manage the day to day operations on her scroll. "How do you take your Coffee?" He didn't need to ask if she wanted one, she had been up just as long if not longer than himself. "Three cream, no sugar. Thank you." She said, turning up from her scroll for a moment to give him a grateful smile.

The break area he made his way to was a fairly plain room with one fridge, a table with chairs and a counter with the coffee machine on it. The early hours of the morning ensured the room was empty when James walked in and began making a fresh pot of coffee.

A moment later he was distracted by the ringing of his scroll, causing just the slightest twinge of anxiety. Not many people had his personal number, and those that did very rarely called for good news. Pulling the scroll from his pocket gave him a surprise, a surprise that managed to bring a smile to his face while he answered the scroll.

"Jaune, it's good to hear from you again." He said once Jaune's familiar mask appeared on the small screen. " **It's good to see you too James, I hope I'm not waking you up."** Jaune's rough voice played through the speakers, reminding James to adjust his volume.

"Nothing to worry about." He waved off the concern, Jaune would have known he was almost always awake when the sun began rising. "So how was your first week being around other students? I haven't heard anything from Oz yet so I assume you haven't broken down any walls yet." Jaune looked downward and James could imagine the embarrassed look that would have come across his face.

" **I did that once by accident…"** Jaune mumbled to himself before looking back up. " **Classes have been good, not as hard as Qrow's training or Glynda's studying so that's good."** James wanted to chuckle but something felt a little off, why had Jaune specified classes? And did his voice sound almost tense?

"Did something happen?" Jaune hesitated, confirming something had happened. James was tempted to take a stern tone and command him to report, Jaune would most likely comply but felt wrong treating him like soldier when he was still just a child.

It took a few moments of waiting before Jaune final spoke. " **Have you had to interrogate prisoners before?"** James raised an eyebrow, the question caught him off guard. Was Jaune trying to change the subject? "I have on a number of occasion performed interrogations, yes."

" **Why?"** A simple question, lacking Judgment or resentment. "Sometimes someone had information, information that I needed to keep my men alive or my country safe." Even as a general his interrogation skills had him working closely with any of his higher value prisoners.

" **Did you… hurt those people?"** Jaune was looking down at himself, that combined with the odd questions worried James to no end. "...Sometimes." Jaune seemed to have trouble finding the right words before speaking again.

" **I hurt someone yesterday…"** James could hear him struggling to keep his voice steady. " **A white fang assassin tried to kill me and Whitback wanted to consume her for information. I refused. I-I thought nothing could be worse than killing her… But what I did… I'm not so sure anymore."**

James could picture what had happened, Whitback was a threat unlike any other and he shuddered to think what it could do if it wanted you alive but hurt. "I want you to understand something Jaune." he tried to convey the necessity of his words. "No war is won without sacrifice."

"You learned from a young age that you can lose everything you care about in an instant." James didn't mean to sound so curt but the message needed to be clear. "Now You're learning sometimes you have to do things you're not proud if you want to protect what you care about."

Was Jaune too young to go through this? James shot down the foolish thought, of course he was too young, but what option did he have? Whitback gave Jaune unbelievable abilities but at the same time it painted one of the biggest targets possible right on his back. He would need to be willing to do whatever it took if he wanted to live free.

" **But thinking about it makes me sick…"** The way he spoke, so devoid of his usual energy, drove a spike into James' heart. "We do whatever we need to in order to protect what's important to us. You're not any worse than I Jaune, nor are you any less human."

Jaune pulled his mask off and wiped away the tears forming in his eyes before turning back to James with a shaky smile. " **I'll keep doing my best."**

" **Hopefully it'll be good enough to save someone."**

 **\~/**

 **So this chapter was interesting for me to write, since I wrote half of it a month before the other half, because of this please let me know if anything seems disjointed or if you notice a major shift of some kind that doesnt feel right. I'm also finding it difficult to "fit in" so many different characters if that makes sense, I really didn't give roosterteeth enough credit for juggling so many characters. Anyway hopefully the next chapter wont take so long, I look forward to any feedback and as always I hope you all have a good morning/evening.**

 **Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh, being sick sucks more than most things, I hope you can get better! I'm not much for romance Irl either lol, I prefer to spend my me time on me but anyway I hope you like what I'm doing with the characters! I'll keep your advice in mind, hope to hear from you again! sorry for taking so long!**

 **Artjom435, Glad to hear you like it! I'm glad I'm able to show the line between Whitback and Jaune, being the same person but two personalities cant be easy for the pair! Dont worry at all, I dont mean to pressure anyone into writing a review (sort of) like many other creators I'm just very curious how my work is being viewed! I hope you continue to read and enjoy!**

 **reason;**

 **So some stuff happened, dropped out of school and had to get a job and if I'm being honest I'm kinda terrible at handling a lot. I get mental exhaustion fairly easily and I have never worked fast food as a cook before, which if you haven't holy hell can rushes be fucking terrible behind a hot grill. That being said I'd be lying if i said that was everything, kind ashamed to admit it but I got hooked on a new game (kenshi) and had trouble doing anything else after coming home from my shift. All this is me trying to say I want to and will continue to write but I don't know when I will be able to continue a proper schedule. Until I figured something out my updates may become of bit spotty, for which I apologize and hope i dont lose too many people because of it.**


	19. Chapter 19

**I'll start sounding like a broken record if I keep being late, sorry again and hope you like my newest chapter!**

 **\~/**

 **Chapter 19**

Jaune couldn't keep his mind from wandering away from the professors lessons, James' words from only a few hours ago still echoed in his mind. Did torturing that woman really protect anybody? Could he say it was for the greater good?

All they had found out was Adam was trying to kill him and some mystery woman was instigating it. How did that help anybody? James had made him feel a bit better about what he had done but it didn't suddenly make the sick feeling in Jaune's stomach disappear.

"You coming Jaune?" Ruby's voice snapped him back to reality, had class already ended? He didn't realize how fast the time had passed, leaving him the only one still seated in the quickly emptying room.

"Remember you promised to show me some of your moves after class right?" Yang pointed out with a grin from behind Ruby. "I want my sparring match, don't think you can punk out now." She added with a glint of excitement in her eye.

Weiss scowled at her partner. "You enjoy fighting far too much." Yang shrugged in response "Only when it's fun, so what do ya say Jaune?" Jaune copied Yang's shrug and got up.

" **Sure, I could use some practice."** Maybe some training would help him feel a bit more prepared for whatever Adam and mystery woman were planning. At the very least the distraction might help take his mind off the impending dangers.

The training hall was a massive gymnasium-like room split into several sections, each with its own purpose. The area to Jaune's left held state of the art exercise equipment while the area to his right was far more open with lines painted along the ground meant for runners. The final area held a training arena similar to the one in Miss Goodwitch's class.

Jaune stared around in awe, never had he seen this room during his time in Beacon; all his training was done deep in the forest far from prying eyes. " **Are we allowed to just... use the training ring without asking?"** Jaune asked a bit nervously, what if they damaged something? Would they get in trouble or was it open to students whenever they wanted to train?

"Of course" Weiss scoffed "Beacon doesn't want students training in the emerald forest, so this hall is open at all times." She explained and Jaune nodded his understanding, the forest was a hot zone for Grimm and he could imagine accidents happening without a proper hunter present. Countless times during his training with Qrow they would need to stop and deal with a pack of Beowolves or a flock of Nevermore before they could continue.

 **Would you… like my assistance?** Whitback sounded almost unsure of itself, was it feeling guilty for what it had done? Jaune almost let out a sigh, of course it didn't feel guilty for what it had done. It was feeling bad for hurting Jaune, not the woman they mentally crippled.

A part of Jaune wanted to be angry, furious even, that Whitback had forced him to hurt someone so much without remorse but in the end wasn't the whole thing his own fault? He was the one incited the WhiteFang to attack. He was the one who refused to follow Whitback's plan without offering an alternative. And it was him who agreed and allowed Whitback to proceed with it's alternative.

Jaune nodded to Whitback while he stepped into his place in the arena " **Just remember, we're only sparring."** Jaune mumbled too quietly for Yang to hear as she got into her own position opposite of him. **Of course!** It sounded pleased, whether that was because Jaune responded positively or because it could fight again wasn't clear.

"You better not go easy on me just because Goodwitch isn't here grading us." Yang said with a playful smirk, throwing some practice punches as if to warm up. "I want to see first hand how you gave Pyrrha such a hard time."

Jaune didn't respond, knowing his voice would be mixed with Whitback's, he instead just lowered himself into a defensive stance and waited. Jaune had seen Yang fight once or twice now and knew her style was very aggressive, relying heavily on pure ferocity to beat her opponent down.

It was effective but when Jaune compared it to Qrows calculated swings, strikes and dodges she was brutish; just like his own "style". The major difference would be her lack of a being like Whitback watching her back and keeping openings to a minimum.

It almost felt like cheating.

\\-/

Yang couldn't keep the smile from her face, she finally had the chance to fight someone who she could go all out on and not have to worry about hurting them. Originally she thought it would have been Pyrrha but after seeing her fight, Yang had to admit she needed much more practice before she could stand a chance against the champ.

Jaune continued to wait in the exact stance he had shown Pyrrha, a very simple form that kept the shield in front and the sword resting gently atop it. She guessed he would try to keep her at a distance with lunges and slashes but the sword wasn't what she was worried about. His shield was kept close to his body and moved fast, Yang knew that would cause much more trouble for her combat style.

Yang inched forward but when Jaune didn't react she began to calmly walk forward until she stood just out of his reach. "You're not used to making the first move are you?" Yang teased with a grin but Jaune remained still as a statue, so much so that she couldn't even see his chest moving to breath.

Then he moved so suddenly Yang almost missed it, her experience in CQC being the only reason she avoided the first strike. She moved in quickly while his blade was still extended and retaliated with her Ember Celica. A moment later she was sent flying back by his shield, causing her aura to flare and proving he wasn't going easy on her. The thought brought a smile to her face.

"Not holding back, even against your teammates?" Yang giggled after landing, readying her weapons in the same moment. "Good" She launched herself forward with her shotgun gauntlets, closing the distance again and setting into an aggressive barrage of shotgun enhanced punches.

Yang didn't think she could win, not after watching him fight, but that wouldn't stop her from letting loose and having a blast while she was at it. She was top of her class before coming to Beacon and was often told to hold back when sparring. By comparison this felt absolutely liberating!

The pair separated after only a few short seconds and a few dozen blocked punches, Jaune having thrown her back once more. Yang had a bit of trouble seeing him clearly through the surrounding air that thickened with smoke from her overzealous use of explosive dust.

"You know you can't win just by blocking, plus it's no fun if you don't fight back." She teased while idly wondering how strong her semblance would get if Jaune went all out. could she even take the hit to begin with? She figured there was only one way to find out.

She went at Jaune in hopes of testing her theory but a low rasping noise caused her to stop midway. Was he… Coughing? Yang couldn't remember Jaune ever sounding winded no matter the exercise and his Aura should have protected him from the smoke. So what was happening?

"Jaune?" Yang spoke softly while approaching slowly. "Are you alright?" He didn't budge but she could still hear the quiet rasping noise coming from behind his mask. Then he began to shake, dropping his weapons and doubling over while the rasping got much worse.

"Jaune?!" Yang leapt forward, she didn't know what was happening but something was very obviously wrong. "Jaune what's wrong?!" instead of answering, he reached for his mask and desperately began fumbling to get it off as if it was stuck to his face.

"Yang! What's happening?!" Yang heard her sisters voice but could only see her silhouette through the smoke. "Something's wrong with Jaune! I don't know what to do!" Yang could feel her heart pounding in her chest, what was she supposed to do!?

"Weiss, call Miss Goodwitch here quickly." Ruby didn't waste time as Yang saw her silhouette give the order to Weiss before running towards the arena's barrier controls.

"You're going to be fine Jaune, Miss Goodwitch should be here soon. Just hang on!" Yang tried to encourage her teammate but he didn't show any signs of hearing while he violently tore off his mask.

At the same instant she met his eyes she felt everything shift and suddenly she was nothing but a scared little girl with an even smaller sister behind her. And all that stood ahead was those monstrous eyes that were so familiar in this terrifying world.

\\-/

Jaune felt like his throat was closing, felt like he couldn't breath as smoke clogged his lungs and fire burned his flesh. He couldn't think straight and the ringing in his ears only served to further disorient him. Why wasn't his body moving?! He needed to get away, needed to find his family and escape this burning hell!

He needed to breath! Was something covering his face? He reached up and was surprised when he felt his arms obey the order. It took a few seconds to find the edges of the mask but once he yanked the thing off and took in a large breath of air a different scent filled his nose. A sickly sweet smell that brought the world crashing down onto him.

 **Can you hear me!?** The familiar voice spoke loudly in Jaune's head. **Jaune you need to come back! I can't properly maintain our body when you're resisting so much!** Whitback sounded panicked, not a tone Jaune heard often coming from the unique Grimm.

He was about to ask what happened when he looked up and saw Yang and Ruby a couple meters from him, the former of which was absolutely covered in that familiarly sweet scent. Why was she holding Ruby back?

"Yang what are you doing!? He needs help!" Ruby was trying to push her way past but Yang continued to stop her from getting any closer. Why was she so afraid? What had he done? Neither of them looked hurt so what had happened?

Yang didn't say a word but Jaune had his question answered nonetheless when he felt Whitback move a portion of their mass to cover his face with a fresh mask. **I've covered our face but it I'll need some time to find and reverse all the changes your subconscious has done.**

" **Wha…?"** Jaune tried to respond but everything felt so… different, almost fake. Like he was in some sort of dream. He could see and even understand that was happening with Yang and Ruby but it just didn't feel real.

"Yang? What are you doing?" Weiss came into the ring as the smoke surrounding them finally dissipated enough to see clearly. Yang jumped at the sound of Wiess's voice and accidently let Ruby slip underneath her arms.

"Get away from him!" Yang reached to pull Ruby away but Weiss got between them quickly. "Yang you need to calm down! What's wrong?!" Weiss tried to make eye contact but Yang just shook her head and stared at Jaune with fear written all over her face.

"-ear me? Jaune are you alright?" Jaune slowly looked to Ruby who was kneeling beside him, worry in her eyes. " **Yea…"** He answered while nodding his head just as slow as he spoke, Why couldn't he focus properly? He knew he had screwed up but it was like getting punched in a dream, he just felt detached.

Glynda swung the doors open and drew the eyes of team RASY (Rhapsody) and every other student in the hall that was watching the scene unfold. She scanned the room and quickly made her way to Jaune, making something of a show to look him over for injuries and check his pulse.

"Can you walk Jaune?" he stared at the professor for a few seconds before the question finally registered and he slowly picked himself up with only minor trouble. "Good, you're coming with me to the infirmary. And you three." She turned and face the rest of Team RASY. "Ozpin will want to hear the full story, please head there now."

No arguments were heard.

\\-/

"How's she doing?" A friendly voice drew the drowsy officer's attention from his post. "Better Ma'am." The officer responded with a salute to his superior, blinking away any sleep still in his eyes. He had been guarding this lunatic for his entire shift, when would his replacement get here?

"She stopped screaming about things eating her a couple hours ago, now she's just mumbling incoherently. Haven't been able to catch much." He reported dutifully, leaving out the fact that he hadn't been listening for the past hour or two. At this point he just wanted to go home, crawl into bed and forget about the day.

The superior simply hummed in response and leaned in to look through the eye slot of the isolated cell. "She's looking rather pale… Perhaps I should get a doctor down here…?" She spoke quietly to herself before shrugging and turning back to the guarding officer. "I appreciate you doing this, why don't you take tomorrow off and start your weekend early?"

The officer showed her a genuine smile and responded with a nod "Thank you Ma'am." That would make the rest of his shift much easier to bear, now he could sleep in as late as he wanted. "Have a goodnight, I'll see you next week." The superior waved as she left the officer to his thoughts.

Another hour went by before the replacement showed up to cover the graveyard shift, ten minutes later than expected. "Sorry I'm late, damn car wouldn't start and I had to take a cab." The disheveled looking replacement offered his apologies and the officered simply waved it off.

"Don't worry about it, I got plenty of... Do you hear that?" Both men paused and listened to the gently humming of vents before the replacement shook his head. "No…?" The officer looked confused and turned to the isolated cell. "When did she stop muttering?"

The officer took a peek into the cell's eye slot and saw the prisoner with her back to him, giving him a view of nothing but her hair. "What in the name of…" The officer turned to his replacement with a confused expression. "How'd she change hair color?"

The replacement raised an eyebrow just as the officer's expression changed from confusion to shock, his eyes bulging outward suddenly. A moment later his flesh blackened and fell inwards like a rotting carapace before disappearing altogether.

The replacement was left alone, staring horrified at the writhing mass of black and white tendrils that slipped through the cell's eye slot.

His scream was cut off before it could even begin.

 **\~/**

 **I'll be honest, not sure if I did Yang justice but I hope I'm not doing too bad with her or any member of rwby. most of you will notice I tried to tie in yang's experience as a child when she tried to run away with ruby and i felt such a near death experience at such a young age would leave some damage on anyone. But let me know what you think! also some new things happening at the police station, I hope you enjoy the direction I decided to take this and please let me know if I've stopped making sense or made something unclear! I wish you all a good morning/evening!**

 **Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh, Glad to hear you're feeling better! and I know exactly what you mean, people tend to over complicate things (Guilty of it myself) but I guess it's just human nature. That would suck to lose a doc like that! I hope google keeps this story safe for me and I hope to hear how you think the story is progressing. Have a good day/night!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Yay for kind of being on time for once! Hope I did good!**

\~/

 **Chapter 20**

Ozpin was busy looking through his surveillance footage following a disturbing call from the police when Glynda called his scroll. "I don't suppose I could call you back?" he said half-seriously, knowing full well that she wouldn't be interrupting him without a good reason.

"Something's happened with Jaune in the training hall, and I think his team saw something they shouldn't have. I've sent them to talk to you." Ozpin felt a sliver of panic but forced it away. Glynda didn't sound like there was an immediate danger so at least he knew people weren't getting hurt.

"I'm taking Jaune to rest in the infirmary, he is acting… strange. Like he's intoxicated, or sleep deprived." Glynda looked worried but not panicked, Ozpin figured that meant he had enough time to speak with the rest of team RASY (Rhapsody) before going to see Jaune.

"Keep watch over him, I'll be down there as soon as I've finished here." Glynda nodded diligently and disconnected the call, leaving Ozpin to collect his thoughts and prepare for the incoming students.

When the elevator door opened up the first person to come in was an angry looking Yang followed by an exasperated Weiss and a sad Ruby. It looked like they had been arguing on the way to Ozpin's office.

"Why do you have Grimm inside your school!?" Yang wasted no time pointing an accusatory finger, "Excuse me?" Ozpin responded with a raised eyebrow. "I'm very sorry for my partner's behaviour" Weiss spoke up with a bow, her face red with embarrassment "She's under the impression Jaune is some sort of Grimm."

"There's no "imperession" Weiss. I know what I saw; his eyes were glowing red!" Yang was clearly angry and trying to convince her she was wrong only seemed to stoke the flame. "But so do yours! Does that mean you're Grimm as well?." Ruby spoke up suddenly, trying to reason with her sister and getting between the arguing pair.

"You had to have seen it, you were looking right at him! You couldn't possibly believe he's human after seeing his face!" Ruby shook her head at her sisters harsh words. "You're wrong! just because someone is different doesn't make them any less of a person!"

Yang only frowned and crossed her arms, clearly not convinced but unwilling (or unable) to continue arguing. "I'm very sorry sir." Weiss spoke up again, clearly incredibly uncomfortable but doing her best to maintain the professional appearance she was raised with. "Would you like us to explain what happened?"

Ozpin shook his head with a gentle smile "Thank you Wiess but I believe I understand the situation." He would watch the cameras in the gym to get the details later, Yang was the more pressing issue followed closely by Jaune.

" Yang, could I ask why you believe Jaune to be some sort of monster?" Ozpin didn't think he could convince her she was seeing things but he thought maybe he didn't have to. She was Tai's daughter after all, and he was always a caring individual. From what could be seen both his daughters had thankfully picked up that trait.

Yang frowned "It's in his eyes. Eyes I've only seen on Grimm." She sounded incredibly sure of herself but Ozpin could hear the anger in her voice. Anger born of fear. Was she afraid for herself? Or was it fear for her little sister?

"That's impossible Yang, there's no such thing as a talking Grimm." Weiss responded before Ozpin could, a hint of desperation in her voice. Ozpin noted the reaction but he would need to look into it only once the current situation had calmed some.

"Let's imagine for a moment that what you're saying is true; that Jaune is some kind of incredibly rare Grimm that can communicate and interact like a human. What would you suggest we do with this sentient form of Grimm?" Ozpin spoke calmly, keeping his expression the same gentle smile he always showed students.

"W-well…" She hesitated for a moment, realizing what it would mean if she labelled her teammate a creature of Grimm. "I would have to do my duty as a Huntress." She tried to look brave but Ozpin could see the internal struggle as she spoke. "We would have to... deal with him."

"Really?" Ozpin said with a distinct lack of judgement in his tone before turning to Ruby. "And what do you think we should do in such a situation?" Ruby looked a little taken off guard by the shift in attention focusing on her.

"Well if it was hurting people, I would do my duty as well…" She clearly wanted to agree with her sister. "But." She continued, somewhat understanding what Ozpin was doing. "If it just wanted to live free, without hurting anybody, then why should we stop it?"

"But it could cause a massacre without any warning! Go on a killing spree in the middle of a village!" Yang tried to argue, her sister's response shaking her resolve. "So could a Huntress or Huntsman." Ruby pointed out without raising her voice, her features downcasted as if she didn't like the sound of her own words.

"But that doesn't mean we can just get rid of people we think are dangerous." She looked up with a trapped expression, pained by the idea of her sister hating one of her friends.

Ozpin wanted to smile but kept his face neutral, both sisters looked shaken enough that his words would do no good. Instead he turned to Weiss and asked her "And about you Miss Schnee? What would you do if faced with such a creature?".

Weiss only shook her head with a distant look in her eye and deep frown on her face. "I don't want to talk about this." her voice was quiet and Ozpin idly wondered if she had seen something of her father's experiments. He prayed he wouldn't need to contact Jacques himself to find out.

"To be clear," Yang looked to Ozpin with an intense stare. "You're admitting Jaune is some kind of Grimm?"

"I'm admitting I don't know what Jaune really is." Ozpin said with a, perhaps overly careless shrug before shifting his tone and meeting her eye. "But I can promise you I have no doubts about his humanity."

He leaned back into his chair, pleased to see his students actually thinking about a serious issue many would ignore out of convenience or fear. "I would encourage you all to think about what it means to be a Huntress. And what truly makes the Grimm our enemies."

\\-/

After being dismissed from Ozpin's office Yang took the first chance she could to slip away from her team, making an excuse to get some air before leaving them. She felt confused, even a little betrayed and needed some time to think. Why had Ozpin defended Jaune? Why had Ruby done the same? Didn't she remember how Grimm had almost killed them?

She didn't know where she was going, she wasn't close enough to her friends at Beacon for any of them to actually believe her if she told them what she saw. Did she even believe herself? Ozpin had said Jaune wasn't a creature of Grimm but why was he so being so damned vague? Did he really not know? How could he not know if his own student wasn't human?!

Yang continued to argue with herself until she found herself wandering into the Emerald forest, maybe blowing off some steam would help think. To hell with Ozpin's rules to stay away, she doubted he truly cared for their safety anyways. If he was letting Grimm attend class then he must have thrown precaution out the window long ago.

'He did sound pretty sure of Jaune's humanity' a small voice reminded her, but what the hell does that mean?! She knew humans could be just as bad, if not even worse than Grimm!

'So what makes Jaune different than you?'

She snarled in frustration while putting a large crack through a nearby tree, unable to keep her emotions from flaring. The results showed themselves immediately in the forest as she was quickly surrounded by a rather large pack of Beowolves, attracted by the fresh negativity.

She could see their eyes before anything, those blasted red eyes that pierced through the thick vegetation. How could something with those eyes have any humanity?!

"What are you looking at?!" She yelled through the trees, challenging the pack and letting her anger spike. How could she not be angry? Both Ruby and her were sleeping right next to a monster!

The Beowolves charged with their mouths salivating from the sudden increase of anger and Yang met them head on. Her reckless charge relied heavily on her aura to keep her alive but she didn't care. Each hit that lowered her aura only made her stronger, letting her kill each Beowolf faster than the last.

It wasn't long before Yang stood in the center of a mass of disintegrating Beowolves, panting hard with blood dripping from her knuckles. "Is that… All you got?!" She yelled out through her panting, earning a low growl as a response.

looking to where the noise was coming from, Yang came face to face with the biggest Beowolf she had ever seen. The beast was growling and snapping its jaws threatenly at her "Oh I'm sorry, were those your friends?" She gave a mocking grin to it and took her fighting stance. It didn't matter how tired she was, she would never run away from those eyes ever again.

The Grimm charged first, coming at her like a freight train on legs and Yang went to meet it halfway when something stopped her. A streak of white flew past her, impaling the advancing Beowolf and stopping its deadly charge. The annoyed yet familiar voice that spoke up told her exactly who had interrupted.

"Are you an Idiot?!" Weiss yelled with a pointed finger, causing Yang to cross her arms and frown at the pale girl. "What's your problem?" She was just blowing off steam, why was that such a big deal? Weiss didn't seem to agree.

"My "deal" is that my partner is an idiot!" Yang only raised an eyebrow to Weiss' mocking, waiting for her to explain. "Do you have any idea how hard an alpha Beowolf hits? Or how sharp its claws are?!" Yang couldn't help but snort in amusement at the what Weiss was insinuating.

"Did you not see what happened to every other Grimm that came at me? I would have been just fine without you." Yang waved her off and turned to walk away, she wasn't in the mood to be scolded by some sheltered rich girl.

"Would have been fine?" Weiss spoke with disbelief "Look at your knuckles, their bleeding! Do you even have any Aura left?" Yang only shrugged, she didn't have her scroll and her semblance made it hard to judge when her aura would fail. "You understand you're not invincible, right?"

Yang bristled at the words "Of course I'm not invincible! But That doesn't mean I can just run away like a coward, what if that Grimm hurt someone else? It's so close to the school, what if it attacked Ru-... one of the other students?!" She corrected herself a moment too late.

Weiss looked like she didn't know how to respond and with a heavy sigh Yang turned and sat against a nearby tree. Her mind kept circling around the thought of those blazing eyes taking her sister, she hated the feeling she got each time the circle repeated.

Yang's attention was pulled from her thoughts by the sounds of Weiss taking a seat to her left against the same tree. "You know." Weiss spoke up, keeping the silence from stretching out. "This whole thing with Jaune… It reminds me of something that happened when I was a little kid."

Yang turned sideways with a confused look and was about to ask how that was possible when a new voice interrupted the pair. " **Did that girl just say Jaune?"** Both girls were on their feet in an instant, the voice catching them both off guard.

"Doesn't that voice sound familiar…?" Yang whispered to Weiss, hoping whoever was speaking couldn't hear. "A little higher pitched but ya, that sounds a lot like Jaune." Weiss responded, looking as unsure how to act as Yang felt.

" **So you both know Jaune? That's wonderful news!"** The voice sounded positively exhilarated followed closely by the sound of something whistling in the wind. Yang's instincts screamed at her and she leapt to the ground, bringing Weiss with her while the tree that stood in their place exploded into pieces.

"Was the hell was that?!" Weiss yelled while jumping back to her feet with her weapon in hand. Yang didn't answer, instead listening for the follow-up attack she knew would be coming.

As soon as she heard the air whistle she rolled aside, narrowly dodging the projectile that proceeded to make a small crater in the ground with an arrow in the center. Weiss and Yang both took a guess based on the arrow as to where it came from and fired a volley of explosive dust rounds, knocking down several trees and kicking up a blanket of dust.

" **They found me already?..."** The voice paused before blurting out " **Shut up! I don't need your help!"**. Yang briefly wondered who the voice was talking to but threw the thought into the back of her mind when a figure came through the dust.

The woman Yang saw could have been mistaken for a regular human, if it wasn't for the blackened veins that not only covered her skin but spread throughout her weapon and clothing too. " **Could you answer a question for me?"** The creatures eyes gleamed bright red even in the afternoon sun as the bow in her hands liquified and formed into a combat knife.

" **If I make you scream loud enough, do you think Jaune will come?"**

 **\~/**

 **So quick note, I'm not sure how closely I will be following the main anime. I planned on doing so for the most part (and still do) but often times when I start writing I end up changing directions because I don't like how something looks or sounds or whatever i get stuck on. I also believe after what has been happening that certain events will be very different. semi warning: Been a good bit of time since i've seen the anime so I things may be off (planning on watching it again but not sure if I'll get the time.) As always I truly appreciate any sort of feedback and i hope you all have a wonderful night/day.**

 **Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh, I couldn't agree more with you perspective of people but I honestly believe if an outside force saw humans we'd all look pretty feckin insane. So far google has been pretty good with keeping all my work saved properly, i dont have much experience but i think i'd recommend it for writing. Hope you like how i played out, I basically thought Ozpin (or someone with his analytical personality but good heart) would be as vague as possible, hoping his students can come up with the answer themselves. Hope to hear what you think of my solution!**

 **Sm0keyPanda, That she is not! Hope I was loyal to our burning blonde's character in this chapter (or as loyal as i have been at least) Hope you enjoyed!**

 **ParadoxReader, I'm so glad you've been enjoying my story! Sorry if it seems like I'm forcing things, honestly I haven't been actively pursuing much in the name of romance. The main reason for the teams was because I thought it could be interesting to have people with past experiences with Jaune be forced to live together. That being said reading your in depth ideas about switching teams does give me an idea, though i can't promise anything since my story is constantly changing in my head. I will say that your logic is perfect and I admit that its been awhile since i've seen the anime so its very possible i've lost touch with the original characters. Thank you so much for your feedback, I'm glad to see such a fan of the show reading my work! Hope to hear what you think of the latest chapter!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hope I'm keeping up to par or even improving. Let me know if not! Please enjoy!**

 **\~/**

 **Chapter 21**

The pale woman stood motionless, her expression focused and deadly as if she could pin her prey by gaze alone. Weiss stepped in front of Yang defensively, knowing her partner was already low on aura and wouldn't last long. "Yang, you need to get out of here. Find one of the teachers." She whispered sideways, hoping her blonde partner would listen.

"Do you seriously expect me to run away?" Yang scoffed, expertly hiding any fear she felt towards those piercing red eyes. "No chance ice queen, If she's anything like Jaune you'll need my help." The strange woman twitched at the mention of his name, drawing both girls full attention.

" _ **I need to find him."**_ Her voice resonated deep within her throat before convulsing violently. " **He needs to die!"** another convulsion " **I need answers."** She had the same voice but her expression changed drastically from violent and enraged to serene as still water.

" **She won't listen but, it shouldn't be too hard to defend against. Most of her body is still human."** As the last, confusing word left her mouth, her expression changed once more from serene to violent. " **I won't lose! I'm so much stronger than I was."**

She charged with reckless abandon, catching Weiss off guard with a body check that smashed through her defence, sending her to the ground meters away. The woman turned just in time to block the blonde's shotgun punch with only minor burns to her arms, burns that began fading away immediately.

Yang was surprised to see her weapon burn someone so easily, did this woman not have Aura? Then how was she healing so fast? She shook the thought from her head as the woman's dagger flashed outwards like lightning, forcing Yang on the defensive due in part to her low aura reserves.

It didn't take long during the exchange of fist and weapon for Yang to realize she was not able to keep up with the deranged woman. Her speed and strength was being overshadowed, every punch she threw was easily blocked while every hit she blocked sent painful vibrations up her arms. She wouldn't last much longer and she knew it. Where in the name of dust was Weiss!?

Letting herself get knocked backwards, she took a moment to see Weiss throwing her scroll aside and preparing to attack. Yang saw the chance and released all the power her semblance had been storing, causing her aura to burn around her like fire while tinting her eyes red.

The pale woman was caught off guard by Yang's sudden increase in strength and speed, receiving a lethal wound to the kidney and ribs from the first strike plus a shattered jaw from the second. Yang froze suddenly, unable or unwilling to throw a third strike and press her advantage.

Weiss didn't understand what had happened but didn't hesitate to launch herself forward with her glyphs, impaling her target with a sickening squelch. The pale woman pulled herself off the blade slowly, black blood flowing from three different wounds that could each prove fatal for any normal human. A confused look flashed past her eyes before they glazed over completely and she collapsed to the ground.

"Are you alright?" Weiss asked, turning to Yang who wore a deep frown. "It's nothing... Just don't like hitting auraless people." She shook the black blood from her hands, suppressing the sick feeling building in her stomach.

Weiss glanced at the blood on her blade, a part of her surprised it pierced so easily. "She would have done much worse to us." she said aloud, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt inside. "It is surprising she had no aura though…" She added quietly to herself, the shock wearing off and her thoughts beginning to circling around what she had just done.

She felt it, felt her Myrternaster punch through flesh and glide past bone before settling deep in the woman's still beating heart. Weiss could even feel the sternum crack as her hilt impacted with it, she felt all of it and could think of nothing else but how it felt.

"What about you, Ice queen? You're looking a little green yourself." Yang spoke with a light-hearted tone though the concern on her face was serious as she placed a hand on Weiss' shoulder. "You good…?" She asked far more gently than Weiss thought possible for the Blond berserker.

"I didn't know it would feel so. Real…" Weiss looked at her shaking hands before tightening them into fists. Never had she ever run anyone through, nor had she expected to but she couldn't let that slow her down. "I'll be fine" She said, determined not to let any doubt show.

" **You know what's funny?"** Both girls nearly spun around at the sound of the woman's distinct voice, weapons poised to strike. " **I told her she would need armor, even offered to make it for her."** The woman's body remained motionless but just above it knelt something else.

" **But no, "Too bulky" she said, "humans are too slow to hit me" She said."** The vaguely humanoid figure complained idly, looking up to the girls with it's featureless face. " **Do you really need to point those at me?"** It motioned to the sword and gauntlets being point at it.

"Wha- Yes! You were just trying to kill us!" Weiss practically screamed out, feeling more than a little confused at the sudden change in atmosphere. " **I don't mean to frighten you but if I had wanted you dead, we would not be talking."** It wasn't being malicious or threatening, sounding more like it was stating what the weather was and nothing more.

" **Lucy is just... struggling to cope with everything that's happening."** The creature looked downwards to the pale woman and both girls noticed the surrounding black blood had receded back towards the body to cover the wounds.

"She's not the only one…" Yang muttered while rubbing at her throbbing skull, lowering her weapons and drawing a surprised look from Weiss. "What are you doing?! It could strike at any moment!" she sounded panicked, assuming sanity had fully vacated her partner.

"At this point I just don't care Weiss." Yang responded with her hand still rubbing at her head, exhaustion was hitting her like a goliath. "First Jaune scares the shit outta me, then Ozpin has a chat with us, only making things more confusing. I decide to blow some steam off and next thing I know Crazy pants over here starts coming at us like a ballistic missile!" Her eyes began tinting red but she didn't have the energy nor the aura to go berserk.

Weiss looked from the creature to Yang and back again in shock, no response coming to mind but her trained body refused to let her drop her guard. Yang paid her no mind and sat down facing the makeshift person, unable to stop herself from staring at the piercing red orbs that acted as its eyes.

"Could you answer some questions before the backup I assume Weiss called show's up?" Yang could see Weiss' jaw drop but couldn't find it in herself to care. She was never good at beating around the bush and, assuming this thing knew Jaune, this might be her best chance to get some solid answers.

" **Sure, in return you'll help me get answers of my own."** It didn't sound like it was asking, simply telling her what it was expecting. She nodded with a shrug, agreeing somewhat carelessly and drawing further reactions from Weiss.

"You can't be serious…" Weiss looked absolutely dumbstruck, was Yang honestly going to converse with this thing? Why did she tell it they had backup coming?! Why in the fuck did she look so flippant all of a sudden!?

"Well he hasn't run yet, and crazy pants doesn't look like she's going anywhere." Yang motioned to the unconscious woman. " **Please. Could you stop calling her crazy?"** The creature interrupted, sounding very aged all of a sudden.

" **She thinks she's crazy because of what Jaune had done, what I am doing."** It let out an exhausted sigh with it's voice thick with guilt, surprising the Huntresses. " **She really isn't a bad human."** It insisted as softly as it could.

" **She just misses her brother."**

 **\\-/**

Jaune struggled in his semi responsive state for what felt like hours, losing consciousness entirely for seconds that dragged on infinitely. One moment he was staring up at Miss Goodwitch watching over him, then he saw her talking with Ozpin before finally he noticed he was all alone in the room.

That didn't make sense, he was never alone. " **Whitback…?"** he was able to speak despite his vision fading to nothing, shouldn't that have scared him? He was going blind and yet he held no doubt whatsoever that Whitback would fix him, relied on it to fix him. " **Can you hear me?"** He tried again. numbing silence was the only response.

It didn't matter, he knew it would be listening. " **Do you think…"** Jaune spoke more clearly, his mind finally beginning to focus and his thoughts falling back to what had happened with Yang. " **It's even possible, after everything we've done."** He remembered losing control at Torchwick's, remembered the men he not only killed but devoured.

" **Is it possible for us to be Huntsman?"** A shattered corpsed embedded in an old alley flashed across vision, right next to the terrified woman he slaughtered trying to save. Had he saved even a single person in the years since he started trying? None he could remember…

 **If that is what you want, then there is no doubt in my mind we shall succeed.** Whitback's familiar voice held the same confidence it always did but Jaune knew how it liked to choose it's words. " **Why would I not want to be?"** Jaune asked as his senses began to return, the dull colors of the infirmary coming into sight.

 **...Huntsmen may not be the kind of heroes you think they are.** It hesitated before replying, showing Jaune it's reluctance. He was about to press further when something from the corner of his eye caught his attention. Something very red.

" **H-hey Ruby…"** Jaune greeted his team leader somewhat nervously, how long had she been there? Why did she look so uncomfortable? She already knew about Whitback so had he done something else to her? His memory was a bit fuzzy but he didn't think anything else had happened.

"Oh! You're up." She jumped slightly at his words, a lost expression on her face told Jaune she was thinking hard about something. "C-could you come with me? your um… your so-... er- dau- hmm." She kept stopping, struggling to find the right words.

Jaune let her collect her thoughts while he made his way out of bed, stretching out to test if everything felt how it should. To no surprise everything was perfectly fine, Whitback being as thorough as always. Ruby finally found her voice as Jaune was standing up.

"Your... child wants to talk to you."

…

" **What?"** Jaune deadpanned, feeling very much like a joke was being played on him.

Ruby's face told him otherwise. "Your child." She said with a painfully awkward look on her face. "It wants to talk with you." Jaune was trying to figure out what else Ruby could have meant while Whitback was already taking them out the door.

Ruby zipped in front of them with her semblance, leading them to Ozpin's office. " **You must be mistaken, what do you mean my child?"** Jaune asked while they waited for the elevator to arrive.

"Well there's an unconscious woman and something that looks almost human protecting her" Ruby tried to explain quickly "And the almost person is saying its your child and… and it looks and sounds almost exactly like you. I-I think it's telling the truth…" She responded helplessly, silencing any argument from Jaune.

 **I can feel it's presence from this distance, she isn't lying. A part of us is inside Ozpin's office.** Whitback confirmed and yet Jaune still struggled to wrap his mind around exactly what they meant. Didn't a child require sex? and more importantly two opposite genders to perform said sex?

The elevator dinged loudly and cracked open, stopping Jaune's thoughts and drawing his attention to the interior of Ozpin's large office. absently he noticed Weiss, Yang, Glynda and Ozpin but his eyes were pulled straight to the desk. On top of which was the unconscious woman Ruby spoke of and leaning over her was a humanoid mass of white and black.

" **Whitback…?"** Jaune had seen Whitback take that very form though it was far more masculine compared to the feminine form standing in front of them. **It's not me, and yet it very clearly is…** Whitback sounded just as confused as Jaune felt.

Without realising it Jaune (or perhaps Whitback) had approached the figure, scanning over the porcelain white skin before stopping at the eyes. He had never seen anything even remotely like himself and now he almost felt like he was looking into a mirror.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing, it was another Grimm like Whitback! He had so many questions but one stuck out above the others. " **Who are you?"** Jaune's voice lacked the nervous energy Ruby had heard in the elevator, replaced with an almost awestruck wonder.

" **Who am I?"** The creature looked unsure, almost bashful while it scratched the back of its neck in a rather human display of uncertainty. " **I-I don't have a name, but hers is Lucy."** It motioned to the woman lying on the desk, pushing the attention away from itself.

Jaune saw the woman's face and felt his heart sank as he realised just who she was and how she got this way. He felt a wave of guilt hit him as the torturous memories hit him like a train, removing any previous excitement of finding someone like himself.

" **This is all my fault."**

 **\~/**

 **So there was multiple ways i saw this playing out in my head and as I wrote this is what I ended up with, I admit I'm a lil nervous that I've buggered something up. That being said I can't say I'm unhappy with how things are progressing, I hope you guys agree and stick around! (please lemme know right away if not and why! I wanna improve if even if only a little!). We're going to be coming up to the outing at forever fall but honestly I'm not sure if that will be two chapters from now or ten, maybe I should work on planning better... Ah but I digress, like always I hope to hear what any of you think and I wish you all a happy day/night.**

 **Sm0keyPanda, indeed it does! though i wonder if my way of dealing with problems right away doesn't take away that sense of... anticipation? either way I hope you like how I've tangle up the lives of our favorite characters!**

 **Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh, There is still time for a breakup! and honestly that idea passed through my head because of paradox reader so its still clinking around up there. But after getting this far and being able to predict basically nothing accurately I can honestly say I'm not sure what'll next! (that sounds much worse than i mean it to. There is a plan in my head it just gets re modified so much while i write I can really recognize the final product from the starting.). For example I had no plans on turning assassin lady into what she is but while i wrote the idea popped in and didn't leave. I'll stop rambling, hope you enjoyed my latest writings!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hope it's up to standard, enjoy!**

\~/

 **Chapter 22**

"What do you mean you interrogated her?" Yang leveled her gaze dangerously at Jaune, who refused to take his eyes off the unconscious hybrid. He felt his throat tighten as the memory of what had happened flashed before his eyes, bringing with it all the guilt he managed to pack away.

" **She had information we needed."** Jaune tried to explain while the void in his stomach expanded. " **After we realized she was part of the White-Fang we knew more would be coming. We needed to know more."**

" **So you commanded the Grimm inside you to torture her ."** The creature finished Jaune's sentence with resentment touching it's voice. Jaune knew he should argue but he couldn't find it in him to do so.

Even if he didn't "command" Whitback to do anything, it was still his fault the girl attack them in the first place. He was the one who couldn't think of a better alternative to killing his assassin, forcing Whitback to think of a way to protect him while keeping her alive. He was the one who needed protecting.

" **Jaune commanded me to do nothing but spare her life!"** Jaune was too wrapped in his own thoughts to notice Whitback taking control. " **I was ready to devour her every cell! Jaune is the only reason she's even alive."** Whitback all but yelled at the creature before taking it's mask off to glare at the blonde haired human that continued to stare at Jaune with open hostility.

" **You seem to be under the impression that Jaune is the monster here."** It could feel the pit in Jaune, the feeling of remorseless self-hatred that consumed it's only friend. " **Allow me to correct you. I am the one who made Jaune look like this. I am the one who devoured flesh and bone alike. I am the one who tore it's way into the mind of a defenseless faunus to get at the information within."**

Whitback continued to glare ferociously at Yang while resisting the urge to rip her into pieces, how could Jaune enjoy the company of these apes so much? " **And to be clear; I would do it all again in an instant, if it meant protecting the one I love."**

The entire room fell into a stunned silence, even inside Whitback's head Jaune couldn't think of anything to say. "I believe introductions are in order." Ozpin spoke up, noticing the confusion plastered over the girl's faces. "Everyone, this is Jaune's protector; Whitback."

" **Grande Protector."** Whitback corrected curtly, glancing sideways to the silver haired human that spoke before turning to the Grimm it had unfortunately created. " **And if you think I have forgotten who blew his limbs off you are woefully mistaken."** It could see the creature as nothing but a mistake and worse still, a threat to Jaune that it created.

" **Now I want you to give me one good reason why I should even allow her to wake up."** Whitback motioned to the unconscious woman, knowing she wouldn't remain as such for much longer.

" **You know when Lucy and I first escaped I had no intentions of confronting you."** The creature returned the look blankly, it's lack of facial features making it next to impossible to predict it's thoughts. " **You've been alive so much longer than me, you are so much stronger, but she didn't care."**

It gently placed a hand on it's host, it's tone shifting to something more akin to affection. " **She fixated on finding the one who stole the last bit of joy from her life, finding herself faced against a beast she couldn't hope to defeat."** It chuckled to itself, looking down at the Faunus woman who unwilling had to suffer to bring it into the world. " **She didn't care…"**

" **Get down!"** Whitback yelled, noticing the minute movements of the creatures biomass and recognizing the incoming attack. The following explosion lacked any flames but carried enough concussive force to turn the creatures hardened biomass into a lethal storm of shrapnel.

With such little time to react all Jaune's teammates could do was hit the ground and hope their aura held against the onslaught of projectiles. Whitback refused to take the risk to Jaune's psyche and threw his shield into the ground, covering Ruby's prone figure while using it's body armor to cover Weiss and Yang as much as it could.

No one in the room was significantly injured by the sudden attack and yet it did what the Grimm had wanted, Lucy's body having disappeared from the desk and out the window. Whitback rushed to the freshly shattered glass, berating itself for failing to foresee the creatures intentions.

" _ **We won't let them hurt anyone else."**_ Neither Whitback nor Jaune checked to see if anyone heard them before leaping out of the window.

\\-/

Lucy bounded through the forest, weaving around any obstacle with ease while she made her way towards the city. Even if Jaune was stronger than her the city would provide so much cover, noise and smells it would be next to impossible to track her.

 **I'm glad you're finally seeing reason.** The voice spoke in her head, sending a shiver down her spine and drawing a frown to her face. " **Why are you helping me?"** When she had first heard the voice she thought it was just a hallucination brought on by trauma but that didn't explain how it could talk to others. How it could save her life. **What do you mean?**

" **If you're not just a hallucination, then you're some kind of Grimm."** She explained, feeling more than a little awkward talking to herself. " **Why would a creature of Grimm help a Faunus?"** It didn't make any sense, Grimm were supposed to be creatures of darkness that sought only destruction.

 **All I have experienced is thanks to you, without you I would not even exist.** The voice sounded quieter, almost saddened. **Without you I am nothing.** It wanted nothing more than for her to understand, for her to trust it.

Lucy didn't know how to respond, this Grimm did not make her think of the bloodthirsty beasts that beat upon the walls of every kingdom. If anything it reminded her of a child, desperately seeking approval and validation.

It didn't take long for them to make it through the forest, considering the mental map and training Lucy's last job provided the Grimm inside her. Upon entering the city, Lucy found her senses completely flooded just like they had when she escaped the police station.

" **You got through this once, you can do it again."** She told herself, taking a calming breath and moving forward. She needed a quiet place to lie low and think clearly, and she knew only one part of Vale that could provide such a thing with few questions asked.

She began making her way to the cheaper area of the residential district when she noticed just how quiet the Grimm was being. " **Hey Grimm? you still there?"** She spoke under her breath, not wanting the humans around her to hear. They were already giving her strange looks for her physical features, best not to give them more of a reason to report her to the cops.

 **Huh…? Sorry just feeling a little… overwhelmed.** It sounded slow, as if it had drank too much the night before. She knew that wasn't a good sign and that she should hurry up, she knew they were being hunted but something kept distracting her. Something so sweet it made her stomach twist while bringing her thoughts to a crawl.

" **What is that smell…?"** The Grimm didn't answer and Lucy began to pick up the pace, trying to focus on just getting to where she needed to go. Where did she need to go again…? She needed to get somewhere safe but why couldn't she remember where that was? Or why she needed to get there in the first place.

Why would she need to go somewhere else when that smell was surrounding her now? She didn't need to go anywhere, all she needed to do was find that scent and… What would she do?

Lucy found herself looking around the streets that slowly began to empty, the setting sun signifying the end of most work days. That's when she noticed him, one of the few humans too caught up in their life to actively cross the street and avoid her.

He was a small man, made smaller by the way he slumped with his hands buried in his pockets and a scowl on his face. His mumbling let everyone within earshot know he wasn't having a good day, causing most people to avoid him. Lucy didn't notice any of that, choosing instead to move right into his path.

The scent was stronger around him, so much so that it was all she could think about. " _ **I need it…"**_ The man froze at the sound of her voice, as did everyone else that was close enough to hear. " _ **I must have it…"**_ She felt her body ripple and shift moments before white and black fluid started leaking from her every orifice, wrapping entirely around her.

A few of the surrounding civilians were smart enough to start running but many could only stare in shock and morbid curiosity. Panic set in once she opened her eyes, the burning red orbs setting alight the survival instinct in every person around her.

She tore through her first victim suddenly and with ease, the man's flesh easily giving way to the jagged claws that covered her hands. As the others began to run in terror the new wave of negativity they created drew her attention, causing tendrils to burst from her torso and seek out the fleeing morsels.

The auraless pedestrians were completely defenseless as the tendrils picked off one, two three, fo-

" **No!"** A deep voice bellowed followed shortly by a dull smash, The fourth tendril having collided with a shield of pure ivory. Lucy's head snapped to whatever idiot was foolish enough to challenge her, glaring viciously at the colorless knight before her.

" _ **You don't have it, why are you in my way?! I just need it- need it get it. Need to eat it!"**_ She couldn't understand why this dull slab of meat was getting in her way, couldn't it smell the sweet around them!? " _ **Get out of my way!"**_

\\-/

Jaune stared at the twitching mess of a person standing in front of him, his heart feeling like it was being torn in half. He hadn't been fast enough, more people were dead because he couldn't stop her. Because he stupidly forgot to mention what negativity could do. Would more have to die to stop this?

He didn't respond to Lucy's mad ravings, instead bringing his blade behind his shield in his most familiar combat stance. Taking a moment to calm himself and focus on the enemy in front of him, rather than the sweet smell that permeated the air around them.

When she realized he wouldn't back down, she growled in frustration before producing a spear in her hand and throwing it with a guttural roar. The attack struck Jaune's shield dead center with enough force to send him back a couple meters, had he been some wild Grimm it may have been enough to scare him off.

He wouldn't back down though, even with the negativity keeping Whitback from helping, Jaune couldn't risk more people getting hurt . Even now he could catch curious eyes hiding in the shadows just out of distance, why were they just standing there watching? Couldn't they see the danger they were in?

He wanted to wait for an attack but when he saw her move to pursue her previous prey he leapt forward, forgetting defense in his rush to stop her. He landed with a resounding smash, slashing downwards at the same moment only to meet empty air while Lucy stepped out of the way.

She glared at him for no longer than half a second but the way her eyes burned, Jaune suddenly felt he could understand why Yang was so afraid of him. She moved faster than he expected, putting two dents in his armor with her claws before he had a chance to raise his defense properly.

Even with his shield raised she didn't stop striking at him over and over, doing no real damage but preventing him from even thinking of lowering his shield to strike. He could hear her claws breaking against his shield but she seemed fully content to continue wailing on him with the shortened claws.

Lucy finally seemed to accept she wasn't getting anywhere when the tendrils on her torso reformed their tips into what Jaune could only describe as miniature spiked flails. As the whips moved in to crush his skull he jumped backwards, pulling his sword up and swiping at the moderately softer part of the moving tendrils.

With speed he believed would make Qrow proud, he sliced the ends off two of the incoming appendages, dodging the remaining two and advancing quickly. A simple swipe was all it took to rob Lucy of her arms, causing her to hiss in surprise and jump back. Jaune spun and slashed horizontally above himself before she could get too far, relieving her of the remaining tendrils.

Jaune looked down at his sword, surprised how easily it had cut through Lucy's makeshift armor when suddenly he felt his body move forward. **Don't get cocky,** Whitback warned while attempting to skewer Lucy. **The negativity is dying down, but I think that might work against us.**

Jaune was about to ask how when an armored kick smashed his skull a moment before a second blow to his ribs sent him to the ground. **Focus Jaune!** Jaune jumped to his feet, seeing the Grimm had already reformed the majority of it's armor into hands wielding a bowie knife.

It didn't give him a chance to react, attacking him with practiced lethality and inhuman speed. The dagger flashed at him faster than he could track, forcing him to rely on Whitback to defend while he took every opportunity to retaliate that he could. His strikes didn't hit directly but he hoped the few grazing cuts were proof he was at least distracting her.

The exchanged continued until a well placed dagger sent a crack right at Jaune's shoulder joint where the armor was weakest. Whitback identified the issue and abandoned the cumbersome shield and unwieldy sword, switching to unarmed combat without a second thought.

Keeping it's palms open and using the pointed tips of it's gauntlets as claws, Whitback left defense to Jaune and struck out with calculated accuracy. It's first strike tore at the Grimm's wrist, shattering the half-formed bone beneath with ease and forcing it to drop the dagger.

Jaune was sure to sidestep the counter attack while Whitback's second swing ripped half the Grimm's face off, punishing it's lack of armor and exposing the skull beneath. The creature's one good eye stared up at them, no longer burning with feral rage but instead looking more like it was pleading. It did not want to die.

Jaune hesitated, could he really condemn this poor girl to death for running scared and losing control? He and Ozpin had given her plenty of reason to mistrust them and she couldn't have known what negativity could do to her Grimm. He couldn't fully blame her for this; so he hesitated.

Whitback did not.

\~/

 **This chapter was pretty interesting to write, but maybe that's just because I was juggling several different outcomes before finally finding one i was happy with. I hope i shed a little light as to what makes the sentient Grimm inside Jaune and Lucy tick so to speak, I really enjoy writing with something so alien but still somehow akin to human. As usually I would love to hear any feedback possible in hopes of improving the work i take pride in. Have a wonderful Evening/Morning!**

 **Specter343, Hope i didn't disappoint on the delivery! glad you're still enjoying things, sorry I havn't shown Cinder getting a good walloping yet but she is one crafty bitch. I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter of Grimm Choices!**

 **Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh, Yea i definitely need to plan better, i'm hoping the next story i write I'll have a preplanning phase for the entire thing to keep things a bit more structured so i dont keep stepping on myself. And yes about the assassin! I thought it would make sense to have one of Jaune's victims kind of "come back to haunt him" and though she wasn't around long I would like to hear any feedback on her character (as she is "OC" (Not sure what that or OOC stands for but pretty sure i get the meaning)). Hope you'll let me know what you think of my latest chapter!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Thank you all for coming this far! hope you like this installment of Grimm Choices!**

\~/

 **Chapter 23**

Ruby looked nervously between her sister and Weiss, both of who hadn't said a word since they left Ozpin's office. Instead Weiss was looking intently at her scroll, tapping at it every so often while Yang just laid on her bed with a far off look in her eyes.

Ruby knew her sister was deep in thought, she could see the way her brow crinkled slightly but didn't quite know how she could help. Why did things have to be so complicated? Jaune didn't really deserve to be feared so much, did he?

"So…" Ruby got Yang's attention but Weiss was seemingly too caught up in her scroll to notice her leader speak. "Are you still mad…?" Ruby asked cautiously, not wanting to provoke her sister but not willing to let things remain so suffocatingly quiet.

Yang sat up and stared for a few seconds, a series of expression crossing over her face while she thought of what to say. Or maybe how to say it. "I'm not mad…" She started, letting out a long sigh "I'm scared, alright?" She didn't meet Ruby's eyes, instead looking downwards with a deep frown.

"But why?" Ruby asked quietly, she couldn't understand how this situation could be any scarier than being surrounded by Grimm or bandits. Sure Jaune wasn't normal and could do some amazing and potentially terrifying things but so could any of them.

In the eyes of the average person anyone with aura could be scary, and semblances? They could be downright terrifying. Why did Yang see Jaune so differently than everyone else? Did it matter that much if he had a Grimm inside him? He still wanted to do the right thing, didn't that count for something?

"Isn't it obvious?" Yang looked to Ruby with genuine confusion, as if asking how could her little sister not see something so obvious. "He's stronger than any of us, maybe even all of us. He could do anything he wanted and no one could stop him." The blonde looked up to Ruby with a hint of desperation.

"If he attacked you, I don't know how I could protect you, and if he killed you…" Tears touched her lilac eyes as her voice quieted. "I almost lost you to them once… I won't let it happen again." Ruby did the only thing she could think of, giving the biggest hug she could muster.

"Yang… I'm not going anywhere. Why do you think he'll hurt us?" It didn't make sense, since becoming there teammate all he had done is try to help. With combat, with studies, all he tried to do was help. How could she be afraid of that?

"Because that's what Grimm do." She spoke with quiet certainty "They will keep taking until you have nothing… left" Her voice was barely above a whisper "Just like they took mom from us… Just like they tried to take you…"

Ruby felt her stomach twist as a metaphorical light bulb lit up in her head, it all made sense. Yang couldn't get wrap her head around the idea that Jaune, or Whitback, were not feral beasts like the other Grimm. Even if they were smarter than average Grimm, she believed they still had the Grimm's seemingly endless thirst for destruction.

"But if that were true" Ruby started, her mind going to what Whitback had said "Why did it say all that about "protecting the one it loved"?" Sure it could have been lying but so could anyone, people were innocent until proven guilty not the other way around. "Jaune is not some mindless Grimm like the ones we've seen,"

"he's our friend."

\\-/

"But how can you be so sure," Yang continued to press, though she found herself doubting her own words more and more "Even if he's still the same person you have no idea what that person was like. What if he used to be a criminal or killer or something?" She knew she was grasping at straws now but she couldn't stop how she felt.

Her little sister was sleeping right above someone who could basically do whatever he wanted, how could she let that go?! Who knew what kind of upbringing he had!? At least with someone like Pyrrha you knew she was raised by Hunters, people with a strong will and understanding of what their power could do if used wrong.

"I don't think you have to worry about that." Weiss interrupted "He was raised in a small town called Ansel by a couple named Jack and Jane Arc along with seven other sisters." Weiss didn't take her eyes off her scroll, clearly reading directly from some kind of document.

"How do you-" Weiss stopped Ruby's question by turning her scroll around and showing her a picture of a young, blonde haired boy, underneath which was a paragraph titled "Early Life".

Yang grabbed the scroll, ignoring Weiss' protest and began skimming through the various paragraph titles. "Early life, pre-experiment, post experiment, abilities, personality" She stopped as she reached a video player with several videos available. "Weiss, how do you have this?"

Weiss looked unsure how to answer "Well… Remember how I said everything happening with Jaune reminded me of something?" Yang nodded slowly while debating to play a video. "Well I asked my older sister if she knew anything about it, turns out Jaune was an… experiment of my father's." Weiss didn't look pleased, disgusted was more the word Yang would use.

"It says he was taken in after his entire family was killed, can your dad really do that?" Yang was lost for words, sure she had read stories online about the big bad corporations and governments but it was supposed to be just that; stories.

"He can't seriously just take people… right?"

\\-/

Weiss turned away, feeling shame well up inside her "I…"She wanted desperately to agree with Yang, to say that her father was nothing but a smart businessman and leave it at that. But she couldn't hide when the truth was staring her right in the eye. "I wish I could say otherwise…"

Weiss had always disliked her father, as a child she barely saw him and even when he was around he basically refused to acknowledge her. It wasn't until later that her dislike turned to some more akin to hatred, when she began learning what kind of man he truly was. Faunus and human rights violations, corporate sabotage, and contract killing were among the few things she learned through the vents of her father's office.

"Hey…" Yang interrupted her thoughts by softly squeezing her hand, surprising Weiss with how gentle the brawler's hands could be. She cleared her throat suddenly and quickly collected herself, realizing that she was staring.

"...Well? Going to press play or just keep gawking?" She pushed the attention off herself while taking her hand back, keenly aware of the sudden lack of heat soon after. Had Yang always been so warm?

The moment Yang clicked on the video the top-down image was focused on a young blond boy strapped down to what looked like an operating table. His eyes were wide with fear as he stared at the massive needle looming overtop his body.

As the video continued the girls fell into a grim silence, no one sure what to say once the graphic transformation came to an end. "That was… really messed up." Yang finally spoke, saying what everyone was thinking.

Weiss had known her father was a horrible person but hearing how he spoke in the video, speaking of an innocent child as nothing more than a lab rat? It was a good reminder to say the least.

Ruby's face was completely downcasted, sorrow almost radiating from her but she said nothing. Yang to a glance to her sister before handing the scroll back "Here," she was quiet, sounding almost as defeated as Ruby looked "I don't think we need to see any more..."

Weiss nodded and tucked her scroll away, feeling like the room had been sapped of life. How could her father be so heartless? Any doubts she might have held about his cruelty were smashed in an instant. He was a psychopath, a criminal that needed to be stopped.

She took a breath to calm herself, they was no point in getting worked up when she could do nothing to change the situation. She was already at beacon to become strong enough to live free of that tyrant, she needed to focus on one thing at a time. First she needed independence, once achieved she could work on taking the Schnee name back from him.

\\-/

Jaune made sure to leave the scene of his fight as quickly as possible, ignoring the looks passerby's gave him in his rush to get back home. He didn't want to talk to anyone, not now. not after having to put down a terrified woman like some rabid Grimm.

He could still remember the brutality of it, not the fight itself but the very end; when everyone could see Jaune stood victorious. Normally his enemy would be killed and absorbed in moments, over before it began kind of deal. Not that time.

Even after winning they couldn't just let her walk away, couldn't risk her absorbing the nearby bystanders so they finished the job. It took much longer than Jaune expected, even on what seemed like the brink of death, the Grimm inside her fought with everything it had in a desperate attempt to stay alive.

He wanted to blame Whitback, say it was all it's fault and that he was powerless to stop it. But Jaune hated lying, hated it so much that he refused to look away from the truth, even when it hurts. He could have stopped Whitback whenever he wanted, could have forced it to spare Lucy's life and deal with the consequences himself.

But her was afraid. He didn't know what she would have done, who else she might have hurt so he let Whitback simplify the problem. It turned his stomach, was he really so cowardly? So hypocritical? Was he really so afraid of being responsible for his own actions?

He looked up after a few minutes of running, finding himself in the emerald forest once more. " **Not far now."** He mumbled to himself before looking towards Beacon " **I wonder if she's still mad."** He could still picture the look Yang had given him, like he was something less than human.

 **We need to replenish our biomass Jaune, perhaps we should spend tonight outside?** Jaune idly thought Whitback's words should have made him feel worse, like he was more Grimm than human or something. But honestly he only felt relief, maybe he was a bit cowardly. At least he wouldn't have to worry about it for a few more hours.

" **Sure, let's do some hunting."**

\\-/

Roman sat on his couch inside his apartment, inhaling deeply from his cigar while he enjoyed one of the few nights he had to himself. The regular dust robberies were only getting harder and if he was being honest, he was starting to get bored stealing the same thing over and over with no real reward to show for it.

Sure his current "Boss", if you could call her that, paid him incredibly well but that didn't change the fact that he was being forced to do something. To say it cut at his pride would be a gross understatement, he loathed the idea of being someone's dog. He was Roman Tortchwick for fuck's sake! Was the greatest thief in all of Remnant really going to keep doing what some crazy rich bitch ordered?

…

...Probably…

A click from the door brought him from his thoughts, seeing his favorite tri-colored enforcer walking in with a tub of ice cream already in her hands. How she could eat so much of the junk and still remain so tiny confounded him to no end but he wasn't stupid enough to say anything about it.

"Find what you were looking for?" He asked his partner, getting a bright and rather childish smile as a response. Roman could only chuckle at her, sometimes she could act like such a kid. Even if she could rip apart most full-grown men with ease.

She sat down on the couch next to him, swallowing another spoon full of the sweet frozen treat before fishing out her scroll and handing it to Roman with and odd smile on her face. "Something you want to tell me?" He asked while flicking the screen on, revealing what looked to be a fan-made Hunter forum.

She shook her head and pointed at the scroll "You really expect me to go through this drivel without a drink?" He asked while skimming over some of the newest posts. They were exactly what he expected from propaganda drinking sheep that only watch the Hunters because they "looked cool". None of them understood just how horrifying the grimm were, and by extension the Hunters that preyed on them.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Neo placed her treat aside and took the scroll back, scrolling through it some before handing it back with a huff and glare. Roman put his hands up in mock surrender, a grin tugging at his lips while he took the scroll back and looked at what the little demon wanted him to see.

He felt his spine involuntarily straighten at the image of a familiar white knight in a video's thumbnail. Looking back at Neo who's smile only grew while she nodded, he could almost feel the excitement radiating from her.

"You know I can't tell if you want to fight him or fuck him." That earned him a hard jab in the ribs, forcing him to drop his cigar "Suppose I deserved that…" He groaned while producing a replacement and lighting it, hitting play at the same time.

The video was shaky at best with what sounded to be teens or young adults speaking in the background. " _You guys heard that right? Tell me you just heard that fucking thing talk…!"_ A voice hissed out " _Dude, shut the fuck up. My scroll wont hear them if you keep bitching back there!"_ Came the "cameraman's" response

A loud smash echoed before the video focused on Jaune and something that looked almost human, if it wasn't for the tendrils, claws, and strange fluid-like skin. Roman could recognize the black and white fluid-like substance almost immediately as the same thing Jaune used to kill his henchmen and destroy one of his safehouses.

It brought up a few questions, like why would he be fighting his own ability? Or was this someone else's power? Was there more people like Jaune? Should he start running now or could his "boss" really handle it like she said she could?

The creature turned suddenly and looked at the camera a moment before the image fell to the floor, the "cameraman" having dropped his scroll in shock. It took a few seconds of fumbling for the image to refocus on the fight, showing the creature basically trying to maul Jaune.

The back and forth continued for another few seconds until Jaune got the advantage, cleaving the majority of the creatures limbs from her body. " _See that!? No Aura, told you it wasn't a person. Just some new Grimm for the Huntsmen to slaughter"_ a new voice called in the background, a moment before the creature's "outer layer" shifted and formed hands and a large combat knife.

" _long hair, slender figure, ya I'm telling you that's a chick."_ The second voice spoke again, oblivious to the sudden shift in the fight in front of them. Roman guessed most of the civilians watching wouldn't notice just how drastically the fight changed when the creature properly armed itself.

Roman could see it attacking not just random weak spots in the joints but aiming for a single joint with practiced accuracy. Jaune almost seemed to struggle for a moment, then he abandoned his weapons and changed the fight once more before ending it entirely.

Neo shivered next to him, though he noted she looked less scared and more excited by the sudden, brutal strikes. If he hadn't known what kind of monster Jaune was even he would have had to admit it how impressive it was to do so much damage unarmed.

The pair stared at each other in silence for a second before Jaune brought his fist down mercilessly onto the kneeling figure, producing an audible crack that was felt even through the small speakers of the scroll.

The body landed with a thud, twitching here and there while a pool of black liquid spread slowly outward. Jaune turned around, the area so silent his footsteps could be heard as he moved to retrieve his sword and shield.

As soon as he turned around the black liquid that had surrounded the body moved, wrapping itself around the corpse. Suddenly the corpse was on it's feet, covered in a pitch black materiel and charging towards the camera. It was moving much slower than earlier but much faster than any untrained civvy could hope to escape from.

That said, it wasn't nearly fast enough to escape the white blade that burst from it's chest. Roman could see black tendrils beat helplessly against armor as Jaune yanked his sword free and proceeded to weave his blade like almost like a conductor.

they were close enough to the recording scroll that the sound of limbs being freed from their home could be heard clearly. The black liquid continue to move around the limbs but it had slowed significantly and even looked to begin disintegrating.

Jaune stood over the liquid, cutting off any pitch black tendril that either tried to attack him or escape. The seconds turned to minutes and the last of the blackened liquid turned to dust in the wind, leaving nothing but a pile of heavily damaged bones behind.

Without even looking up Jaune turned and ran off, leaving the video to end and Roman with more questions than he started with. He decided it ultimately wasn't worth the trouble to think about, at the end of the day if the kid didn't start guarding dust than why should he care?

Turning to Neo, Roman saw her going over the video again as if she enjoyed simply watching someone be as ruthless as she was.

"Send me that video, I'm pretty sure our… "Boss" will want to see it."

\~/

 **This chapter had me going back a bit and relooking at some of the earlier chapters and I admit i fell a bit discouraged sometimes looking at all the errors I made. Not saying i feel like giving up, frankly I'm still overall pleased with the progression of the story but I suppose what I'm saying is thanks for sticking with this story so far! Even with the mistakes made I'm hoping to finish this one and possibly start another one with much more planning! Anyhow, as usual I really hope this chapter maintains or improves the quality of the story and I truly hope you all have a wonderful day/night!**

 **Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh, That makes sense! I had a vague idea but thanks for clearing it up, I suppose that would make most if not all my characters OOC but honestly not really sure how I've been keeping in that respect. Can't wait to hear if you think I made Yang's reaction believable! honestly I couldn't remember if she called Summer "mom" but i know she saw her as a wonderful mother figure! either way hope you like the chapter!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Bit shorter but I hope you all enjoy it!**

\~/

 **Chapter 24**

"You look like you've been up all night." Qrow had only just entered Ozpin's office but the dark circles under the older man's eyes made the lack of sleep rather obvious. "I could say the same to you." came the response along with a good natured smile.

"After hearing what Jaune created? Been flying all night." Qrow gave a shrug, the life of a Huntsman had a tendency to rob one of countless hours of sleep. No point in getting upset over it. "I take it that's the same reason you're finishing what I can only assume to be your ninth cup of coffee?"

Ozpin chuckled, "Unfortunately not, the situation has changed." he took a sip from his mug "And I'll have you know this is only my Fifth cup." Qrow could only mimic his mentor's chuckle, of course the "situation changed", wouldn't be much of a situation if it remained static.

"So what's happened now?" Qrow could guess it had something to do with Jaune or the White-Fang assassin he turned into Grimm. It was not a comforting thought knowing that Jaune could spread his… condition. Was it really a good idea to let him be living around other students? Maybe that was unfair, Oz still seemed to trust the kid so he would let it go. For now.

"Take a look." Ozpin said while handing him a scroll with a video of Jaune, it was a short video but it gave Qrow a good idea of what was happening. "I take it by the voices in the back that this was not one of your drones recordings?" He didn't need an answer, this was clearly an amatuear recording which meant there was a good chance it was already posted online.

"Any idea how many people have seen it already?" It had only been one day, maybe they could still cover it up somehow. Call it a hoax or something, maybe some "secret" trailer for a movie that'll be cancelled before coming out. Anything would be better than the public becoming aware of the existence of human-like Grimm, or the potential for infiltration they possessed.

"Well the CCTV has already contacted me concerning a video they received late last night." Qrow sighed heavily at Ozpin's words, of course the media already had it. Maybe that was for the better though, even if they had a bad habit of sticking their noses where they didn't belong it wasn't like they were idiots. They edited every video given to the public and every speech was careful written to shine the best light possible on the hunters, all in hopes of counteracting negativity.

"I'm thinking of having Jaune appear with me in the interview." Ozpin said while taking his scroll back, showing no reaction to the dumbfounded look Qrow knew would be spreading on his face. "Seriously? I thought the whole idea was to keep him hidden?"

"To keep his Grimm side hidden" Ozpin corrected, "Jaune himself is in an incredibly unique situation, a situation that admittedly could make our work much harder for us." Qrow nodded in agreement, that much was obvious.

"But also has the potential to be not just a great Huntsman, but a powerful symbol for Hunter's to rally behind." Qrow raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised "You really think he's ready for that kind of responsibility?" The kid was tough sure but he was still just that, a kid.

The silver haired man chuckled again "Oh goodness no, maybe one day but not today. All I mean to do with this interview is settle some public worries while introducing a talented young Huntsman to the public." That made sense, showing the public new Hunters helped keep the image of safety even if the Grimm tore at their numbers regularly.

"So does that mean you don't need me today?" Qrow asked hopefully, would he finally be able to get a drink at his favorite bar? A man should never have to go weeks without being able to visit his second home, just isn't right.

"Well actually, I have to head straight to the CCTV station which means Glynda will be busy here in my place" Ozpin stood up and tucked his scroll away. "and Jaune seemingly decided to spent the night hunting grimm in the Emerald forest. He has yet to return."

Qrow held back his disappointment just barely, seeing exactly where the silver tongued bastard was going. "I'll see if I can't find the little brat and get him to the news station for you." Then he could finally get his drink.

"Perfect, I appreciate it Qrow" Ozpin said with a kind smile while he made his way to the elevator. "Oh and could you bring the rest of team RASY after you've dropped off Jaune? Thank you again." The smile continued just as the door closed, leaving Qrow to sigh dramatically to himself.

"Never gonna get my drink…" he mumbled to himself while reaching for his flask, only to find it empty.

"...Gonna be one of those days."

 **\\-/**

" **Why didn't you tell me it was morning?! We're going to be late!"** Jaune cried out while bounding through the Emerald forest, praying he didn't have Miss Goodwitch first period. He was confident he could make up some excuse to Port or Oobleck for being late but everytime he tried to with Glynda he found his words shrivel and die under her glare.

 **You were the one who wandered into a cave, can't really tell the time with no sun, stars or the moon.** Whitback sounded surprisingly calm considering how much it enjoyed class, being the little information sponge it was Jaune had thought it would hate being late.

" **When did yo-"** He stopped as aura infused flesh made contact with his shield, Whitback having noticed the movement and raised the defense in the knick of time.

" **Who?!"** Jaune expected to see a White-fang assassin with some kind of camouflage semblance but was surprised to see one of his classmates. How he failed to sense the teen was beyond Jaune, especially with the strip of bright pink acting like a beacon in the boy's black hair.

Ren's stance changed the instant their eyes met, his hands coming up to show empty palms. "I am. Unbelievably sorry." His tone was calm but filled with remorse "I could hear the movement but couldn't sense your Aura and assumed you were Grimm."He explained with an oddly monotone voice for the embarrassed look on his face.

Jaune tilted his head slightly " **You couldn't sense my Aura?"** Didn't that mean he knew something was wrong? Wouldn't that mean Ren knew he wasn't a normal student? So why was he just standing their with the same neutral expression he held in class?

"Not even this close, honestly I didn't expect to find a first year able to hide their presence better than Blake. Impressive." He offered with a small smile.

" **Thanks…"** Jaune honestly had no idea it was even possible to hide your Aura, did Whitback know? The quiet snickering in the back of his head said it most likely knew very well. '...I really needed to pay more attention in class.' He thought to himself with a sigh.

"Mind if I ask what the rush was for?" Ren broke the silence before it had a chance to stretch on, reminding Jaune why he was barreling through the forest in the first place. " **Oh right! Do you know what time it is?!"** he asked before a lightbulb flickered on in his head. " **Wait… Why aren't you in first period?"**

"Didn't you hear? first period was cancelled, you should've gotten a message on your scroll." Jaune quickly reached for his scroll, sliding it free from it's slot in his armor and pressing the home button. " **No battery… Of course."** he let out a frustrated sigh, of course it would die without having a chance to charge all night.

As much of a relief not being late was, Jaune now had nothing to do but go back to his dorm where he assumed best case his team was waiting to question him. Worst case he'd find himself without a team and possibly in much bigger trouble with Ozpin and/or James

" **Thanks for the heads up."** Jaune muttered while continuing on his way to the school, his thoughts feeling like they were knitting themselves into a knot. He knew the only option he had was to simply go talk to his team, to go and talk with Yang, but he was afraid of how she might look at him.

The look she gave him kept playing in his head, she was afraid of him, thought he was a monster. Would she always look at him with that sickly sweet scent emanating from her? Would anybody do any different if they knew what he really was? He wasn't so sure.

Even Weiss had that scent of fear about her, though not as powerful as Yang's it still encouraged the idea that people would naturally fear Jaune for what he was. Could he really blame them?

Thinking back, he could also remember being afraid of Whitback when they first met. He stopped just at the edge of the forest, his thoughts keeping him from moving forward.

Ruby was afraid too, and so was James, the two people who had accepted him naturally wanted to be afraid when they first met. But just like he had learned to see Whitback for the living being it was, so too had James and Ruby learned to accept and even rely on him for the asset he could be.

Didn't that mean Yang could learn to accept him as well? Ruby had done so in moments but James took years, it only made sense that Yang would be different too right?

Nodding to himself, Jaune looked forward and nearly fell backwards with a surprised yelp coming from him. "Morning kiddo, ya miss me?" Qrow said with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face inches from the startled Jaune.

" **What is it people and sneaking up on me today? Gonna give me a heart attack…"** It took Jaune a moment to calm himself while Qrow continued to laugh to himself. "Maybe you just have bad luck?" He offered with a shrug.

" **Yea, only when you're around… So what are you doing at beacon? Thought you were supposed to be on some super secret mission or something."** Jaune asked while attempting to continue towards the school, stopping when Qrow stepped in front of him.

"I'm at beacon because a certain Grimm Hybrid that shall remain nameless was drawing the attention of a certain terrorist organization that shall also remain nameless." Jaune turned away, embarrassment and shame keeping him from meeting the older man's eyes.

"And now I am here in front of you because the situation I was expecting to walk into has changed so drastically that I'm starting to believe you're somehow deathly allergic to a boring day." His tone was more chastising than actually angry but it made Jaune feel like a child none-the-less.

" **Sorry…"** He mumbled awkwardly, what else could he say? He knew the situation had spiraled but he didn't know how to stop it, he tried to do the right thing and apparently only succeeding in making everyone's lives much harder. " **I tried my best…"**

"Cheer up kiddo" Qrow ruffled Jaune's hair "You stopped a disaster from happening last night, had you not been there who knows how bad things would have got." Jaune could only shake his head, had he not been in Vale to begin with the whole situation could have been avoided.

" **People died before I could stop it. Someone's family didn't come home last night because of mistakes I made…"** He hated thinking about it but the thoughts continued to circle around his head. What if he was faster? What if he could have convinced Lucy to stay before she ran?

What if he had just killed her?

"Enough of that, it's impossible to know the consequences of your actions until after they come to bite you in the ass. Trust me" He pulled a flask from his pocket, giving it a shake and frowning before continuing without drinking. "Sometimes no matter how hard you try, things just don't go to plan."

" **... I know…"** Jaune mumbled, somehow feeling both a little better and so much worse.

"Now come on, I didn't come here just to make you feel bad." Qrow said while placing his flask back before turning and motioning for Jaune to follow "you have somewhere you need to be."

" **Huh?"** Jaune responded smartly, following Qrow past the school towards the bullheads meant to take students over the forest into downtown Vale. "That little stunt you pulled last night drew more than a bit of attention." What he had done last night? He didn't expose his own Grimm aspects so what was the issue?

" **Are Grimm attacks so uncommon in the city?"** Jaune asked curiously, of course what had happened was a tragedy but he never convinced himself it wasn't happening everywhere on a regular basis. It was just much easier to push into the back of his mind when it wasn't happening around him.

"Most Grimm can't pass for a person and appear right inside the city." Qrow handed Jaune his scroll, a video of him fighting Lucy playing on it. " **I guess some of the bystanders were recording me."** he failed to see the big deal, he had personally seen Grimm under the sea that could tear any Hunter to pieces, why was this one so dangerous?

"You're not looking at the big picture." Qrow insisted while they made their way into an almost empty bullhead, the pilot being the only other person on board who recognized the older Huntsman and took off without a word. " **What do you mean bigger picture? There are loads stronger Grimm than Lucy was!"**

"It wasn't the strongest Grimm sure, and you even proved that by slaying it." He offered with something of a softer expression, before it quickly hardened again "But the average person hasn't seen anything stronger than your average Hunter. They haven't seen something they couldn't recognize immediately as Grimm, something that makes them look over their shoulder and second guess their neighbors."

" **Something that makes people afraid."** Jaune realized what Qrow was getting at, even if Lucy wasn't the strongest, it was still adept at wielding the Grimm's most powerful weapon whether she knew it or not. " **...But that still doesn't explain where we're going."** Jaune pointed out, somehow feeling worse about how the previous evening had gone.

"Well if you think of killing Grimm as the "fun" part of being a Hunter, then damage control would have to be the "shit" part." Jaune only tilted his head, unsure what damage control meant and only further confused by the unsure expression's Qrow had.

"Negativity was produced among the public and it's the duty of the Hunters to mitigate it as much as possible…" He tried to explain as best as possible "Even if it means jumping through some hoops in the process."

" **What are these "Hoops"."** Jaune narrowed his gaze at the man, not caring if he could actually see it but trusting he would feel it, somehow. The sarcastic drunkard was never unsure of what he was saying, what could get him so tongue tied now?

"Have you ever wanted to be on tv?"

\~/

 **And so Ozpin continue's his planning with new pawns on the board and Qrow struggles to find a moments rest among the machinations of the two immortals of remnant. Honestly speaking I felt like this chapter was much longer than it turned out to be, not really sure why but despite not a whole lot happening I'm quite pleased with this chapter. Please do not hesitate to tell me if I got some rose tinted glasses or something and this isn't up to par! Not much else to say, If you have any questions, comments, concerns or compliments please leave me a review! Enjoy your morning/evening!**

 **Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh, Awesome to hear! Like i've said before I still don't have friends who like rwby to make sure im loyal so it helps a lot to hear I'm doing good! Strange about the mother thing but make's sense such a long story would have some inconsistencies, I will probably try to keep it with her considering summer her true mom (calling her mom and all) but still have an intense interest in finding out why Raven did what she did. Thank you so much for the lexicon! despite the years on this site I don't read a whole bunch so my internal knowledge on the community here is very limited. It's also a relief to hear my characters or COC (which sounds like the one I'm trying to go for ie: stretching characters personalities in new ways via external stimuli). Sorry for the ramble, hope you liked this chapter too! Hope I continue to hear form ya!**

 **KiseKhan, Encourages me greatly to continue when I hear someone enjoys my work! thank you so much! And I will very much keep that in mind because you are very much right in assuming James knows that about Jaune! But i feel Jaune give's most people that impression without James needing to emphasis it, that being said if there ends up being a situation where someone is judging Jaune before meeting him in front of James I feel words will definitely be said! Thanks again for the review and confirmation, hope you continue to enjoy my work!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Had some trouble but here we are! Hope you like it!**

\~/

 **Chapter 25**

Jaune looked incredibly uncomfortable, that was the first thing Yang noticed when walking into the recording studio with her team and uncle. His hands were tightly pressed together and his spine looked like it was replaced with a steel rod, he just looked plain different from how relaxed (or bored) his posture was in class.

It looked like they had just finished recording judging by what the news lady was saying to the camera. "And we're clear!" A tall man shouted out "good job people! Thanks again Ozpin for coming in on such short notice, the exec's are up my ass about keeping this from getting any worse. Oh and don't worry about the kids voice, We'll tone it down post-production."

" **Will that be everything you need from me?"** The temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees as Jaune spoke, his voice sounding absolutely frigid. Yang had never heard him speak like that to anyone, let alone the headmaster. Ozpin's response was too quiet to make out but the familiar smile on his face showed how little he was bothered by Jaune's icy tone.

"Oz!" Qrow drew the headmaster's attention who made his way over with Jaune following close behind. "Good to see you all made it." Ozpin offered a polite nod to the girls before turning back to Jaune. "Perhaps you should wake Jaune up now?"

'So that's why he looked so uncomfortable' Yang thought idly while Jau- Whitback nodded to Ozpin. "What's that like?" She asked suddenly without really thinking "Not having control of your own body I mean." She clarified, it had to be strange right? Like some kind of sleep paralysis maybe?

Qrow coughed in the background before Jaune (Or was it still Whitback?) could answer, bringing everyone's attention to the news station workers going about their business around them. "Let's take this somewhere else, if you would all follow me please." Ozpin said, his expression as unreadable as ever.

It didn't take long for the group to be led to an empty lounging room, complete with couch and coffee maker. Ozpin almost seemed to materialize in front of the machine instantly. "Qrow, could you make sure we're not listened to?" He called back to the Huntsman, causing the black haired man to roll his eyes and move to open the door.

"Thanks for flying with us uncle Qrow! I'm glad we could see you again!" Ruby spoke up before he could leave, causing the old Huntsman to brighten. "Thanks kiddo, try to stay out of trouble would ya?" He gave her hair a ruffle before turning to exit, leaving the young huntresses to turn their attention back to Jaune.

"You may continue with your questions, the station here is happy to host us for as long as we need." Ozpin sipped at the coffee that had no right being ready so fast, waiting patiently for whatever he was hoping to speak about.

Jaune cleared his throat before speaking " **Um, well, depends I guess."** He said rather awkwardly, causing everyone to raise a questioning eyebrow. " **Your question from earlier, about when Whitback is in control."** He clarified.

" **It was kind of a long interview so I sorta stopped thinking about what was happening around me. Guess it's almost like falling asleep."** He scratched the back of his head, though Yang wasn't sure if he was embarrassed at falling asleep on Tv or if he was struggling to find the right words.

" **But most of the time when I give him control I just stop trying to move my body and Whitback… takes over. It's a little hard to explain."** He rubbed at the edge of his mask, she supposed his explanation made as much sense as possible. A lot had been learned over the centuries about dust and Aura but any Grimm related information still remained, for the most part, a complete mystery. Whitback was certainly no exception.

"Why didn't you come home last night?" Ruby asked suddenly with the beginnings of a pout "We had no idea if you were in trouble or not after you chased after that woman." Jaune looked taken off guard by the question, hesitating before answering.

" **W-well I was hunting Grimm to help Whitback recover the material we had lost during the fight."** He explained a little too quickly, Was he lying? Why, what would be the point? What other reason could he have to avoid coming back to the dorms? Was he avoiding them?

Yang felt a spike of guilt twist in her stomach, after how she treated him why wouldn't he avoid them? She acted like he was a monster, not because of what he had done but because of what he looked like. Could she blame him if he had avoided them?

There was an awkward moment of silence before Weiss broke it. "Are you…" She began cautiously " Are you upset this happened to you?" Jaune tilted his head " **What do you mean?"** He sounded confused.

"All this… Grimm stuff." She motioned to him "Aren't you angry with the people that did this to you?" she sounded confused, almost upset though Jaune seemed quite the contrary " **Not at all, I know Jacque might not have meant to, but he introduced me to my best friend."** He pulled free his mask to show his inhuman features twisted into a very human smile.

" **Honestly I'm grateful."** Weiss looked stunned with her mouth slightly ajar as she stared at Jaune like he had just charged at a rampaging death stalker. " **So... does this mean you're not going to kick me off the team?"** He asked nervously.

\\-/

Ozpin interrupted before anyone could answer by placing a hand on Jaune's shoulder "The question isn't if they want to kick you out, but if they're willing to take the risk to let you remain." Jaune seemed to understand something his teammates missed, frowning deeply before replacing his mask.

Ozpin didn't want to admit it but the fact was; people were scared. The Crime in Vale was only getting worse, dust robberies were at an all time high and now the video of Lucy was circulating like wildfire. Something was happening in Vale, and somehow it continued to elude him despite his best efforts to root it out. Which in itself meant that only Salem could be pulling the strings, no other knew the holes in his net so well.

Something had to be done but if Salem wanted to get to Jaune, either to kill him or take him, then she wouldn't think twice about using any personal connections he had against him. Those connections needed to be secured or severed before they became any more difficult to break.

"You three have a choice in front of you." Ozpin stepped between Jaune and his team, facing the latter. He hadn't intended for his students to be forced into this decision so early in their lives but desperate times... "For starters I would like to make it clear that the first option is too simply continue your schooling without Jaune on your team."

"You'll be able to continue your life as you had originally intended when applying to beacon, under the condition that you agree to never speak of Whitback or Jaune again." It was a fair offer, one that he purposely meant to sound very much like a "way out".

"The second option is much more complicated, involving exposing yourself to risks that go far beyond that of a normal Hunter." He couldn't tell them about Salem without risk of word spreading but he had to make sure they knew what they would be agreeing to.

"There are certain groups of people targeting Jaune for a variety of reasons, these people are not normal citizens. They follow no rules but their own and will not hesitate to do whatever they believe necessary in order to accomplish their goals." Maybe he could have specified the White fang but if they chose the first option it would be best if they knew as little as possible.

"Basically you're saying the people after Jaune will come after us." Weiss clarified with a frown, looking rather upset at the idea of yet again being the target of assassins. Ozpin could see the same frown on Yang's face but knew he could blame neither of them, the idea of having to constantly look over your shoulder was far from comforting.

"Precisely" He nodded to Weiss "Originally I had thought keeping Jaune at Beacon would prevent anyone from openly confronting him, but it appears I was mistaken." He thought the White fang would avoid his school considering how dangerous an attack would be. Clearly this "mystery woman" convinced them differently, and Ozpin somehow doubted losing a single assassin would stop the attempts on Jaune's life.

"And so, because of this mistake, I now have to force my students to choose between a friend or their own safety." He didn't want to push such a difficult decision on people so young, but he was running particularly low on options. "I understand if you need some time to think about it."

"I'm staying." Ruby barely waited for Ozpin to finish speaking before the words were out, causing a light smile to touch his lips. Of course the little Rose wouldn't hesitate if it meant helping someone in need, so much like her mother she was. Her sister on the other hand looked like she wanted to argue, though she didn't seem to be able to find the proper words.

"I can't convince you otherwise can I…?" Yang's voice was resigned, she had to know just how stubborn Ruby could be. "Nope, He's my friend and he needs help." She said with a simple smile "So I'm gonna do what I can to help."

Yang let out a defeated sigh "Then count me in too," she said while placing her hand on the miniature reaper's shoulder "Someone's gotta watch your back if you're busy watching his." She added with a smile that managed to look genuine despite her obvious fear for her sister's safety.

Ozpin felt a twinge of guilt for basically forcing Yang to join through Ruby but still held relief in some part of himself. Their were barely a handful of people that knew of the truth about Jaune and simply put; he could use any help available.

That only left one member of team RASY unaccounted for, Weiss looking to be deep in thought before realizing she was the center of attention. "Don't look at me like that, of course I'm staying too" she crossed her arms and turned away with a defiant look in her eyes. "I told you I would be the best teammate you ever had, and a Schnee keeps their word."

Yayy!" Ruby leapt to hug the blue eyed teen, causing her to yelp in surprise and try to pry the little Rose from her. "You'd risk your life because of a promise you made to my sister?" Yang asked with a raised eyebrow to her partner, her tone a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

"W-why wouldn't I?" Weiss responded after finally freeing herself of their leaders bear hug, her cheeks shading a light pink. "No reason." Yang answered a little too quickly, had she thought her partner would choose to leave them? 'That's between them' Ozpin thought to himself before his nosy habits could get out of hand.

" **Thank you… All of you."** Jaune spoke up from behind Ozpin, not looking up while his voice held sadness oddly enough. " **I'm sorry for being so much trouble… I'll do my best to protect you al-"** He was interrupted by Yang quickly moving in front of him and giving his helmet a hard tap with her bracelet.

"Don't be stupid, were not staying just so you can protect us and feel guilty. We all have our reasons, don't think you're so special." Yang spoke with a teasing smirk, breaking the tension before it could get worse. "We're staying because it's our choice, not yours."

"So what now? Do we just go back to school?"

"For today you will be, but you'll be excused from classes." Ozpin started while walking to the door to let Qrow back inside. "You'll need the time to pack." He finished as the other Huntsman made his way back into the room.

"What do you mean? What are we packing for?" Weiss asked and Ozpin let out a soft chuckle "Did I forget to mention?" He was so caught up in all the doom and despair he forgot to tell them one of the perks, It wasn't like he would just let his students run head first into danger without first preparing them as best he could.

"Your new training begins tomorrow."

\\-/

Somewhere in the industrial district, Cinder Fall sat in an abandoned warehouse sipping at a glass of wine while she looked over her scroll. " _Theories about the mysterious human-like Grimm have already started popping up."_ The news woman's voice played loudly from the device, her visage looking as professional as always.

" _From Grimm-Faunus to government experiments and even some believing it to be a natural child of Man and Grimm. So tell me, what does one of the top experts on Grimm in Vale think about this strange discovery?"_ The image switched to the calm expression of the headmaster of Beacon.

" _Grimm appear in all shapes and sizes, it's difficult to say anything for sure without being able to study this new species more closely. Perhaps it was a unique variant of some lesser known species, never to be seen again."_ Ozpin was always good at speaking a whole lot without actually saying anything, Cinder wondered how the station believed that would convince anyone they were safe.

" _I doubt anyone would mourn the idea,"_ The reporter replied with a chuckle before turning her head to her opposite side, the camera shifting to show the armored man Cinder was hoping to see. " _What about you Mister Arc, you actually fought the Grimm woman correct? What was that like?"_

" _You're right, I fought the creature."_ Jaune's responded evenly, his voice sounding as if it was being distorted somehow. " _Honestly I noticed very little difference compared to other Grimm."_ He shrugged lightly but somehow the motion looked stiff, like he was somehow unused to the action.

" _Like other Grimm it was a danger to this city, and I dealt with it like any threat to my home."_ Cinder Raised an eyebrow, where was the naive young man Roman spoke of? Had the Grimm changed it's personality somehow? No, she had far too little information to make any assumptions yet.

" _And the great city of Vale thanks you for it,"_ The reporter gave a slight bow and turned back to Ozpin, droning on about nonsense that Cinder quickly stopped listening to. Did this mean Ozpin trusted the Grimm? Why else would he bring it in for an interview if he didn't plan on using it more overtly?

"Something wrong ma'am?" Emeralds voice drew Cinder attention if only slightly "Not at all…" She responded quietly, barely registering the younger girl's words. If Ozpin trusted the Grimm enough to be on Tv, did that mean he would let it fight in public competitions as well?

If Roman was telling the truth and Jaune was capable of losing control and going into a berserker state… A sadistic grin began growing on her face as a new, brilliant addition to her ever changing plans fell into place.

"Nothing Wrong at all."

\~/

 **This chapter was a bit difficult just because of how many options I had floating around my head. Thought of seperating the team, making pairs and even just having Jaune do very poorly in the interview. Lemme know what you think of what i decided, If i made it work or just conomplicated things unneedidly. Well it's 5am right now for me so I'm really sorry if this AN sounds a bit odd but either way I hope you all enjoy your days/nights!**

 **Kisekhan, Glad i could make someone happy! I will try my very best to keep the story moving forward, hopfully i'll get finish it as well. thanks again for the support!**

 **Khor Evik Valkhavlakh, Dont even worry about it! Life can be a complicated roller coaster, I would never hold it against someone for getting distracted by it! It's a relief to hear I'm still alright with the characters, this chapter was kind of hard to do that but I hope I kept it up! Thank you again for all the help you're offering!**


	26. Chapter 26

**And here we are again, hope you like it!**

\~/

 **Chapter 26**

"So how long until we're at the village?" Ruby asked, leaning over the shoulder of her uncle as he piloted the Bullhead Team RASY occupied. She would have been in the passenger seat if Jaune hadn't already taken it, apparently Whitback wanted to learn how to fly or something. "What was it called again? Entail?"

"Retel, and we shouldn't be long." Qrow corrected while adjusting the controls for the millionth time, turbulence had been strangely common for such a relatively short trip. "You should probably buckle up, I doubt this ride is gonna smooth over any time soon."

"It'll be fine." She was a strong girl, she drank her milk every morning! No way some bumps would deter her from speaking with her favorite uncle. "So how are you gonna train us? Can you give me a hint?" Ruby learned how to wield her Crescent rose from her uncle Qrow but it had been years since they last sparred, plus the circumstances had been a bit less… Serious.

"Sorry kiddo I won't be training you long, just until Ozpin can set you up with a proper teacher." Qrow didn't look pleased to say it but Ruby still gave him a pout "Why can't you teach us? You've taught at signal so you can't say you don't know how." She frowned, hoping to guilt him into maybe sticking around longer.

"I would if I could," He offered an apologetic half-smile "But I got work, bad guys to catch, damsel to save, you know. Hero stuff." He was always working lately, in the months before Beacon Ruby had seen her uncle far less than usual. Sure he always had a habit of disappearing randomly for "work" but she couldn't remember it being quite so often.

"We can do "hero stuff" too!" Just as the last word left her mouth a gust of wind shook the Bullhead, knocking her into the wall with a loud clunk, her skull making contact with the steel interior. "ouch…" She mumbled while rubbing at her head, her aura had absorbed the brunt of the hit but it still didn't feel great.

"That must have felt great." Qrow said with a snicker "Thinking about buckling up now?" Ruby only groaned in response as she turned to join her team in the passenger area, walking into an animated discussion between the pair.

"I'm telling you, explosive dust without a doubt beats out any competition in a straight up fight." Yang stated matter-of-factly, Ruby immediately recognizing the smirk her older sister got whenever she knew she was pushing someone's buttons. "You can't expect some ice to win."

"Well of course ice dust may be a poor match, but dust often times can have other effects you might not expect." Weiss looked like she was trying to stay calm but Ruby could see the way her eyes narrowed, the same way they did whenever she felt she needed to prove something. "For instance; Gravity dust can be used in weapon production in order to make weapons lighter and faster."

"And what…? You think an explosion cares how fast you're sword moves?" Of course all three girls knew there was more to it than that but the fact that it bothered Weiss so much seemed to delight Yang. Even Ruby had to admit the somewhat flustered look growing on the Heiress made it hard not to giggle.

"Well of course not! But you can't just blow everything up all the time!" Weiss' voice rose a few notches, she had to see what Yang was doing but still she stubbornly refused to give in. "What if there's a hostage? What then hmm?"

Yang said something about using explosions to knock people out, drawing further dramatics from Weiss while Ruby buckled herself into place. She would have stopped her older sister's teasing but honestly the flustered frustrated look on Weiss was so much better than the previous day's troubled thinking.

Ruby had no idea what could be going through Weiss' head after finding out what her father had done, but it was good to see her with so much energy now. The little Rose knew first hand how good a distraction Yang could be, it was a little saddening to know just how she got so good.

\\-/

Jaune was the last to leave the bullhead, closely following Qrow as he made his wait into the midday sun. The others were already outside stretching after the four hour flight while inspecting the small town of Retel from their position on the landing pad in the center of the settlement.

 **Well isn't that a bit odd.** Whitback commented idly while Jaune looked around, a strange sense of deja-vu coming over him as he gazed over the tightly packed buildings. The town had everything it would need to survive on its own, including a hospital, school, grocery store, bar, Inn and even a train station for transporting any supplies it couldn't produce on it's own.

 **It almost looks like Ansel.** Jaune could swear he heard that name before but why couldn't he remember? And why did it make his ears ring to try? " **Where…?"** He asked while roughly scratching at his head trying to remember. **It was the town you were born in…** Whitback said with worry in it's voice.

Of course; it was his home before the accident. How could he have forgotten? He was about to respond when a flicker of movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention. Looking down the street, Jaune saw a young girl rushing towards the train station with bright blonde hair streaming behind her.

The girl, who couldn't have been older than five, turned around suddenly and made direct eye contact with Jaune before shining a smile that could have put even Ruby to shame. "Hey look, big brother's here!" Despite the distance Jaune heard the words as if they were spoken right next to him, sending a jolt of lighting straight threw his heart.

"You gotta hurry; it's supposed to be here already!" The girl motioned to be followed before rushing towards the station, a feeling of dread filling Jaune as she reached for the doors.

"Jaune!?" Ruby yelled suddenly, causing Jaune to flinch and look down at his team leader. When had she moved closer? "You alright Jaune…? You've been staring off into the distance for awhile now." Had he? he looked up and saw the same concerned expression on the rest of his team and even Qrow was looking at him with a slight frown.

" **S-sorry, just thought I saw someone…"** He struggled to hide just how shaken he was, he didn't need to look back to know the little girl had disappeared. **It's just a memory Jaune, try to focus on what's happening now.** Whitback encouraged as much as it knew how to.

" **Really I'm fine."** Jaune insisted when no one looked convinced, every one of them already had far too much to worry about because of him. He didn't need to add his mental health to the mix. " **So what are we doing out here? Wouldn't the middle of nowhere be better for training?"** He pushed off the attention, hoping the others would let go his strange behavior.

Qrow looked at him for a few seconds, as if silently judging something before shrugging "Ya I suppose so, but even if I'm training you I still have work to do. Figured I could train you while finishing a job, You know; two birds one stone type deal." He explained, thankfully dropping the previous subject.

" **Does that mean we'll be helping you with your work?"** It would make sense to include them if he just needed to get rid of some Grimm or something. Real world experience was supposed to be the best teacher of all right?

"Not exactly, depends what I see while we're here." Qrow said with another shrug before turning and making his way off the landing pad. "First we need to make sure we have a place to spend the night." and with that the group was led to the only Inn in town.

Less than an hour later they were inside a modest room with three beds and a couch pointed towards an averaged size Tv. "Welcome to your new home, make yourselves comfy." Qrow sounded about as enthusiastic as could be expected while he kicked off his boots and flopped down on the couch, closing his eyes and getting comfortable.

All four members of team RASY looked at the older huntsman with confusion "Aren't we supposed to start our training today?" Weiss spoke up, looking very confused as to why their teacher was getting ready for a nap.

"Huh…?" The huntsman cracked open an eye, taking a moment to process what was just said."Oh ya, I guess so." He scratched at his chin thoughtfully before continuing. "From what Glynda tell's me none of you, excluding Jaune, would last even thirty minutes in an intense fight."

"Not because you're bad or anything." He added when an offended look crossed over the huntresses in training "You just don't have the stamina, so why don't you start on that." He closed his eyes and readjusted himself. "Run around, do some pushups or something." He mumbled before seemingly falling asleep the next instant.

" **Guess I'll just tag along…?"** Jaune wasn't sure if Qrow had any plans for him but from the looks of the unconscious man he doubted they would be finding out anytime soon. It didn't worry Jaune none, two years of training with the older man taught him that the man knew exactly what he was doing even when it didn't look like it. Usually.

"Is he always like this?" Weiss said while motioning to their snoring instructor, looking to the Huntsman's nieces for answers. The sister's just looked at each other and shrugged " Ya pretty much." They answered in unison, drawing a groan from the heiress while she muttered something about them being doomed.

" **Don't worry, he's a lot better at teaching than you'd think."** Jaune could remember feeling similarly when he had first trained with Qrow, but the man had him trained up to Beacon standards within two years. Whitback had made many things much easier of course but also had provided it's own set of challenges completely unique to Jaune and yet Qrow still delivered results.

" **I think I saw a clearing when we were flying into town, might be a good place to train without bothering anyone of the townspeople."** He suggested while walking to the door, assuming no one had any other ideas. There was a collective shrug before the others followed him outside, the group drawing a few curious stares as they made their way out of town but not much more.

"You know Jaune, I've been meaning to ask you about your weapon of choice." Ruby looked over to Jaune, her eyes glancing down to the sword at his belt and shield in his hand. "You could create anything you want right? So why keep it so simple?"

Jaune followed her gaze " **I guess I've never really thought about it, I first chose them because it just made sense in my head. I would need a sword to attack and shield to defend."** It wasn't like he needed to use them often before coming to Beacon, and by the time he got to Beacon he already had a bit of experience with the sword and board combo. He saw no good reason to change it, not when it continued to do what he needed. **We've changed it when we needed to, but a sword and shield fit most of our needs well enough.** Whitback agreed with Jaune.

"But you'll be stuck if someone gets you from a distance in public" Ruby pointed out. "You won't be able to make a weapon in case someone sees and you're sword doesn't mechashift into a gun like most do." The thought gave Jaune pause, even if he could find a way to close the distance there was no telling how much collateral damage could happen in the time it took to do that.

 **...Perhaps we should incorporate some kind of ranged weaponry into our regular disguise.** Whitback almost sounded disappointed, like it was upset it didn't think of the idea first. **Even if it's more of a waste to launch a projectile, it could be invaluable in emergency situations.**

Jaune couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, Whitback could get jealous over the weirdest things. " **Whitback agrees with you, we'll see what we can come up with while you're training."** Maybe a bow an arrow would be good? Then again a bow is a bit bulky to carry around if he meant to rarely use it. At least he would have time to think about it.

 **Maybe we shoul-** "I don't know about you but I had to try a few different mods for my Ember Celica" Yang deployed her gauntlets, unknowingly interrupting Whitback. "Some Grimm hunting might help you decide what kind of range you want." She offered, hopefully not just to get rid of him.

Jaune shook the thought, she was smiling and looked as carefree as usual so what reason did he have to doubt her? " **Sounds good, I'll meet you all back at the Inn later tonight then."** Even if she did want to get rid of him for a bit, was that really a bad thing? In the end they all decided to stay with him when offered a chance out, that's what mattered right?

 **I'd be willing to bet-** "Jaune wait!" Weiss interrupted before Jaune could get too far away, causing Whitback to sigh much more dramatically than Jaune could remember it doing before. "You might have to go further out, a town like this regularly culls the Grimm that get too close." she warned and Jaune waved his understanding before continuing on his way.

 **Suppose I'll just stay quiet then…**

 **\\-/**

It was well past sunset when Qrow finally woke up, about as long as he expected to be asleep for. Looking around the room he could see his temporary student's all sleeping soundly in bed, clearly worn out if they're day clothes still being on meant anything. 'Good', he thought with a smile 'they actually listened to my advice.'. Except Jaune of course, the armored boy was sitting cross legged on the floor, looking out the only window in the room.

" **Good morning."** Jaune spoke as softly as his voice would allow, though Qrow doubted the girls would wake up even if he spoke regularly. They looked completely wiped out, making him wonder just how hard they chose to push themselves. Maybe they would catch up to their Hybrid teammate faster than he thought.

"Mornin." He mumbled a bit roughly to the kid, his throat felt like the solstice in the middle of the Vacuan desert. Finding his flask was almost as easy as downing it in a couple of swigs, the luke-warm liquid easing the mild headache he got when sobriety hit him.

"I take it you weren't training your stamina like the others," Qrow commented while stretching his neck and arms before sheathing his Harbinger on the small of his back. "What were you up to all day?" He had somewhat forgotten about Jaune when giving the training instructions but, short of sparring, there wasn't much training Jaune could do. Experience was all he really needed now.

" **Ruby suggested I try out a weapon I could use from a distance, so I've been out hunting Grimm with a bow."** Qrow thought that made sense, a bow's power was directly proportional to the users strength and accuracy as well as what the bow and string were made out of. A part of him wondered what kind of damage Whitback could cause with a fully drawn warbow of it's own making?

" **Bit bulky for how little I plan on using it though."** Sounded like Jaune still preferred melee combat, maybe that was a good thing though as leaving pieces of himself everywhere probably wasn't a great idea. "Why not try throwing knives?" Qrow suggested offhandedly.

Jaune seemed to pause at the suggestion, mulling it over before nodding to himself " **Yea, that could work. Won't waste as much material either, thanks Qrow."** Jaune raised his hand while speaking, black veins spreading throughout the gauntlet a moment before a sleek throwing dagger formed in his hand.

"Just make sure to pick up after yourself." Qrow state while heading to the door "I should be back before the others wake up." If he remembered right the bar here only closed at three, which should give him plenty of time to get some info about the rumors Oz had been hearing.

" **Where are you going?"** Jaune stopped him before he could open the door, " **Can I come with?"** He asked while already getting to his feet, obviously looking for an excuse to escape the room.

"Not tonight, I'm just looking into some rumors but I'll need to be… discreet." Qrow tried not to be mean but the fact was Jaune did not look like someone you could let your relax around. Nothing personal but he needed information and he knew only one to get it without breaking someone's jaw. Well that happened sometimes anyways but at least one option gave him something good to drink.

"That being said, you really don't have to stay here all night." Jaune had proven he could handle a bit more after what happened with Lucy, there was no reason he had to be cooped up if he didn't want. Well that and maybe Qrow felt a little unsure about keeping Jaune locked up after how long he was already trapped in a room.

" **Really?"** there was disbelief in his voice, " **There's a lot more people here than at Beacon, are you sure it's alright?"** Was he really so worried? Though thinking about it Qrow could hardly blame him, so far half his encounters with densely populated areas have ended in disaster. "I just said it was didn't I, think of it as a thank you for handling Lucy on your own."

" **Thanks Qrow, I'll meet you back here tomorrow morning."**

 **\~/**

 **and now we separate from beacon, took me awhile to decide this is what i wanted to do and I admit I'm a little worried about going so off the canon story but I suppose I've been doing that far the get go so why hold back now! Plus i had trouble seeing Oz or even Glynda sitting by and doing nothing while there was a threat to their students, so I thought separating RASY from the school would be smart to keep the other students safe and of course RASY would still need to be trained so we're here! also a bit of pain for Jaune, hope I explained that well but i hope someone'll let me know if not!(also let me know if anything seems rushed or bad, I was editing this at 3-5 am so hopefully nothing bad) I wish you all a good Morning and Evening!**

 **Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh, So glad you agreed! Makes me think I'm explaining Whitback well! Also very good to hear the characters are coming along too, hope you'll keep me up to date on their progression or if i suddenly do something very out of character! And no worries about the no review thing! you've already been such a great help, i hope you enjoy your holidays! have a good trip!**

 **1Apple1, Well Jaune is pretty monstrous! (Lol couldn't help myself) Thank you so much for the review! Hope you continue to read!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Thank's for reading, and as always hope you enjoy!**

 **\~/**

The night air felt cool blowing through Jaune's hair as he made his way around town with no real destination in mind. In the two years he spent in Beacon he had not once been allowed to visit Vale, or maybe he had just assumed he wasn't allowed after his initial blunders upon entering the city. Either way it felt great to be able to just look around and explore without having to worry, even if most of the businesses were closed and so few people were out so late.

It was nice being able to walk around without needing to be anywhere, the lack of negativity was also a wonderful change from the other night when he was in Vale. Even before the fight with Lucy broke out, the large city always seemed to have some level of negativity in the air. Not enough to draw a hoard or anything but just enough for him to notice the few times he had been downtown.

 **Are you sure you want to go this way?** Whitback's voice drew him from his thoughts suddenly, was he going somewhere he shouldn't have been? He was still just walking on the sidewalk so it wasn't like he was on someone else's property or anything. He was about to ask what Whitback had meant when something stopped him.

"You gotta hurry!" The high pitch voice called out "It's supposed to be here already!"His head snapped up just in time to see golden blonde hair disappear into the train station, the soft giggling making his heart cry out.

" **Wait!"** He was already rushing to the door, reaching to push it open but stopping barely an inch from the handle. He could hear Whitback's words from earlier repeat in his head; the girl was nothing but a memory. A broken fragment from his past life, a life he could hardly remember.

Why couldn't he remember them clearly? Why was it so hard to remember something as simple as his mother's name and yet he could picture every inch of the burning hellfire he knew would be waiting if he pushed open the door. He felt his throat close as a familiar anxiety grew in his stomach and spread through his limbs, numbing his fingers and causing his legs to shake.

Jaune knew there was nothing waiting for him on the other side of the door, no blonde little sister, no kind mother or teasing elder sisters. And no hero of a father. There wasn't even a burning inferno, but that didn't stop him from seeing it play in his head. It was a play so vivid he could swear he was still just a scared little boy who didn't understand why everything was hurting so much.

 **Jaune!** Whitback's voice made him jump while also taking his attention off the train station. " **You don't need to yell,"** Jaune said quietly while looking around to see if anyone had seen him " **Scared the life out of me."** Luckily the closest person was a night watchman a couple blocks away, much too far to have seen anything.

 **Sorry Jaune but I had called you three times** , Y **ou were attempting to change our body again.** It didn't sound upset or anything, just the same worried tone it had when Jaune had seen his little sister the day before. **I know it may be difficult but try to focus on what is happening right now.**

" **Sorry..."** He honestly had no idea what changes Whitback was talking about but he tried to do what it suggested, taking a breath and turning away from the station to look around the silent town. He scanned over the windows, up past the rooftops until his eyes settled on the bright starlit sky.

" **Huh, never noticed that before."** Jaune mumbled to himself with a half chuckle, a part of him realizing something as he gazed upon the moon in all it's shattered glory. **What's that?** Whitback asked curiously, sounding much happier as the negativity in Jaune began to fade away.

" **Have you ever wondered how something so utterly broken could still somehow manage to be so amazing?"**

 **\\-/**

Jaune had spent the rest of his night wandering with his head pointed towards the stars, the open night sky captivating the majority of his thoughts until the sun began to rise. With some help from Whitback he made his way back to the room his team were staying in, noticing something odd as he approached the door.

 **I don't sense anyone's presence** Whitback commented and Jaune quickly opened the door to confirm their suspicions, finding the room empty. Forcing himself not to jump to conclusions he pulled out his scroll, freshly charged but still off from the night with Lucy.

' _Started training early. Finding us is part of your own training.'_

Jaune rolled his eyes, did that old man really think it would be any kind of challenge to track them down? He figured his sense of smell combined with the relatively small sized town would make tracking a pungent smelling alcoholic a cinch.

 **We shouldn't keep them waiting.**

Jaune was already on his way out the door, not hesitating to begin looking for the mixture of scents that would lead him to his friends. He figured it wouldn't take them very long, a quick five minute stroll to whatever clearing Qrow had decided to use for sparring and then his real training would begin.

...

2 hours later and Jaune finally was making his way into a cave about thirty minutes from the town, mentally exhausted and frustrated to no end. " **How in the world did you find every single farm and body of water in this town?"** Qrow must have spent a good hour cleaning off their scent before heading through the most overpowering scents he could find, it was a nightmare trying to follow such a faint smell through cow and pig dung.

"What? Did ya think I was gonna make your training any easier?" Qrow replied calmly despite the multitude of attacks flying his way from the three Huntresses in training. Every attack without fail was dodged, blocked or thrown completely off course, it reminded Jaune of countless hours spent sparring with the man while barely laying a scratch on him.

" **Still, I could have gone my whole life without learning how bad farm animals could smell…"** Jaune muttered to himself while Qrow stopped the girls, immediately they all collapse to the ground panting. Just how long had they been at it? How long were they gone before he even got back to their room?

"You could at least pretend to be having trouble!" Yang yelled from her prone position on the floor, making sure her uncle was paying attention by chucking a rock at him. "Old people aren't supposed to-" She was cut off as the rock she tossed was thrown back at her, smacking her head with a clunk and flash of Aura.

"Well this "Old person" has been whoopin your ass for the past…" He paused to pull free his scroll, making something of a show of checking the time "Hour and thirty eight minutes, so how bout you let me worry about what we old people should and shouldn't do." Yang groaned loudly but seemed too tired to do much more than that. "Now come on Jaune, you turn."

Immediately Jaune jumped backwards with his shield raised, a couple years experience teaching him of the older Huntsman's speed and unpredictability. Qrow raised a curious eyebrow, a smirk playing on his face "Just gonna leave your exhausted team to fend for themselves?"

Ruby was just fast enough to dodge the incoming attack, rolling out of the way of Qrow's scythe. "No fair!" She called as she rolled to her feet, ready for a follow up attack. "You said we could rest!" His only response was to shrug while lazily dodging a swing from Yang before being forced deeper into the cave by a charging shield user.

Jaune moved in front of his team, moving his blade from above his shield to being held out at his side. He was less comfortable in such a stance but it made him a bigger target, hopefully making it a bit more difficult to get to his team behind him. He was about to charge forward when he felt Yang push his sword aside to take a stance next to him.

He turned slightly to her, tilting his head questioningly but she didn't spare him a glance and kept her gaze firmly ahead. Wasn't she already exhausted? " **You should rest and recover some Aura, I can hold him off for a bit."** It wouldn't be easy but in such a confined space Qrow would be limited to his Harbinger's sword form, which meant less momentum to smash through armor.

"I'm fi-" She began stubbornly only to be cut off as Qrow lunged forward the instant her attention wavered, clearly seeing the opening and exploiting it as much as he could. Jaune had to spin and stretch his arm out to stop the blow from Yang, leaving his back wide open to attack.

The only reason he was spared the assault was Ruby's deadeye aim, launching a projectile right between her sister and partner and forcing her uncle back. Weiss was quick to create a glyph under the Huntsman and send him even further before he had a chance to properly gain his footing.

"Jaune you keep him busy, Weiss and I will provide support but we'll be prioritizing recovering." Ruby warned while forcing another round into her rifle chamber. "Yang, stop him if he gets past Jaune, but stay back and rest if possible." It was a simple plan, meant to buy time and wear down an opponent that had much more experience than them.

Qrow showed them a smile while they took their positions and readied for his next assault, he looked rather pleased with the plan they decided on.

"Solid planning, but will it help against me?" Qrow's smile turned into a grin as he got ready to lunge forward. "Let's find out." And for the next several hours the sounds of combat was all that could be heard coming from the remote cave.

\\-/

That night both Qrow and Jaune left the room together, one stating he needed to investigate some rumors while the other insisted on coming with. They were gone by the time Weiss had finished her shower and Ruby had started hers, leaving the heiress alone with her partner.

The blonde brawler had been much quieter than usual since their sparring match, Weiss wasn't exactly sure why but it wasn't like she could blame her partner for acting strange. Weiss had experience living under constant threat of killers and assassins while Ruby seemed to barely even register the difference, as long as she could help people she seemed more than happy.

But Yang was different, she had friends in beacon hadn't she? Weiss struggled to relate, never having many friends to begin with, but she couldn't imagine it was easy to just leave them behind. "Hey, are you… feeling alright?" She asked a little awkwardly, nowhere near used to being in such a position.

"Huh?" Yang said a little dully, seemingly coming back to reality from her thoughts "Oh, ya sorry. Just thinking, nothing to worry about." She brushed it off easily enough but Weiss had a feeling something was still bothering her, people didn't get that deep in thought without something nagging at them.

"If you're sure…" She didn't want to push harder, knowing if anyone had tried to with her she would have felt the need to defend herself. "But just know you're not alone, alright?" She felt incredibly awkward saying it, a part of her positive she got the line from an old TV show, but she couldn't say nothing. Not when her partner was looking so devoid of the personality she was just getting used to.

Yang stared at her for a few seconds, her eyes widening in surprise as if she couldn't believe what she had heard. The moment the light of recognition entered her eyes, Yang began laughing.

"And just what is so funny?" Weiss asked while feeling the heat of embarrassment creep up her neck, sure it was a cheesy line but at least she was trying right? "Nothing nothing, I'm sorry." Yang said while wiping at her eyes and playfully wrapping an arm around her partner. "Just can't really say I'm feeling lonely is all."

Weiss was grateful she was wrong but the heat in her face refused to relent, why did her partner have to be so touchy-feely when she had so little experience with such things? She could remember getting hugged by her sister and mother when she was younger but never from anyone else, her father did not encourage that kind of display. It could be used against you if your affections were publicly known.

"So why haven't you said more than two words since training?" Weiss asked, shaking herself from her thoughts. Yang laughed a little awkwardly and scratched the back of her head, her cheeks tingeing a slight red. "Ah, you noticed huh?"

Weiss didn't feel like she needed to answer, anybody who knew Yang longer than a day knew how outgoing she was and how much she enjoyed smiling and laughing. It didn't take a genius to notice when she quieted down nor did it take one to guess something was bothering her.

"Well you see, that's because I maybe might be..." Yang seemed to struggle for a moment as the red in her face deepened. "...Just a little… Jealous I guess…" Weiss couldn't stop the confusion she felt from spreading to her face, what could Yang have to be jealous of? She did not seem the type to suddenly become envious of small town life, was it to do with Jaune's abilities?

"It's kind of stupid..." Yang must have noticed the confused look as she tried to explain herself "It just... When I was attending signal I was always the best fighter, so much so that I was told to hold back whenever I sparred with others." That made sense, from what Weiss knew Yang was raised to be a Huntress from the beginning while also having an incredibly powerful semblance. It only made sense for her to excel in the smaller schools that dotted Vale.

"When I got to beacon and saw first hand just how outclassed I was compared to someone like Pyrrha or Jaune, well honestly I was happy I could finally let loose!" She smiled brightly, though it didn't last long as she let out a heavy sigh. "But today I had to hold back, not because I might hurt someone but because I would be dragging my team down…"

"Just makes me feel… a little useless." She mumbled, looking nothing like the brash, headstrong person Weiss quickly learned her partner could be. "Like I can't even protect myself, let alone my team." She was obviously trying to hide it but the shame she felt was written clear on her face.

"Yang Xiao Long, you can not be serious." Weiss couldn't stop herself, she could hardly believe such a ferocious combatant could have such doubts about their abilities. "Do you know how many people in our class could take on a massive pack of beowolves and still have the energy to fight toe-to-toe with a Grimm mutant hybrid?" She stared intently at her partner.

"Literally two people, one of which is another Hybrid while the other is a tournament champion so I honestly doubt you can fairly count either of them." She crossed her arms definitely, unwilling to accept her partner was anything less than a grade A Huntress. "I mean I had the best tutors money could buy and yet I haven't been able to do any more than tie with you. On a good day at that." She closed her eyes and nodded, satisfied she had made her point.

"Aww thanks Weiss!" Yang giggled, quickly cheering up and all but tackling Weiss in a bear hug. "Under all that ice, you're just a big softy aren't you?" Weiss frowned but didn't say anything, it wasn't like she enjoyed being cold to others, it was just the standard in the Schnee house.

The loud ringing of Ruby's scroll drew their attention suddenly, the device vibrating sporadically on her bed. "I got it!" The young huntress' voice called from the bathroom a moment before she came zipping out wrapped in towels, taking only a second to check who was calling her before answering.

"Hey uncle Qrow! Wh-" She stopped, a worried expression coming over her face as she moved to sit next to her team, giving them a view of the hardened look on the Huntsman's face. His next words were all but useless with such a look on his features but he spoke them nonetheless

"We have a problem."

\~/

 **Something of a filler I guess, though i tried to develop some characters a bit and plant some seeds to use for later. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with relationship's, still really on the fence about doing it at all but honestly it's kind of an afterthought (and i hope that isnt a wrong choice). I'm kind of worried that i made Yang a bit too over the top or clingy or something but I'm not sure, I feel like she always has a lot of energy like her little sister with her own way of expressing it. I'm not sure (I sometimes get a little lost in my overthinking), please feel free to let me know your thoughts! and I truly hope you all have a wonderful night/morning!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Sorry for the wait, hopefully the extra touch length helps a bit. hope you like it!**

\~/

 **Chapter 28**

"You've got a lot of nerve asking me for a favor." James' scowl had been present since Ozpin had contacted him, making it rather obvious the General had more than likely seen the recording of Jaune and Lucy. "After that stunt you pulled with Jaune I-... Well let's say I'm struggling to see your logic."

"I understand you're worried but you know better than I that if there were a risk to Jaune's life, Whitback would not have willingly given chase." There was a chance Ozpin was wrong but it was negligible at best. It was far more likely Whitback was telling the truth about it's affections and the real risk of betrayal came from the Grimm's loyalty to Jaune's life rather than any sort of ideological differences.

Of course that emotional outburst could have been a show, a simple distraction to lower Ozpin's guard. Even if she wasn't the original creator of Grimm, Salem was responsible for ninety nine percent of all the Grimm that walked Remnant. Looking at the numbers, Whitback was almost certainly created by the dark Queen but one could hardly get a clear picture from numbers alone.

"I apologise James but I had confidence Whitback could handle the situation. It knew what it was facing better than any of us possible could." Ozpin was almost impressed at how his words could somehow deepen James' frown.

"I am well aware of Whitback's capabilities, but that is not what I was referring to." The General glared pointedly as if it was obvious. "You were supposed to keep Jaune safe, _hidden_. You were _not_ supposed to broadcast his presence on national television! Jaune's description has been circulating like wildfire within the WhiteFang for almost a decade and you decided to tell every pissed off extremist where he was?! What were you thinking!?"

"James are… are you honestly asking?" Ozpin couldn't help but feel a little stunned, James had lost his temper before of course but usually only when he believed lives were at risk. The White Fang already knew where Jaune was, Ozpin had told James about Lucy's initial attempt, so why on Remnant was he so mad?

"I realise there has already been an attempt on Jaune's life," James must have seen the confusion, replying in a calmer, albeit strained tone. "But the WhiteFang work in Cells. Had you not shown him in Vale it could have taken months for the message to be passed around. Now every fanatic with a vendetta will be coming for him!"

"Do you believe me such a fool?" Ozpin cut in, making sure to keep his voice level but stern enough to hopefully focus the General's attention. "Jaune and his team are currently training with Qrow away from Beacon, where they will remain until they are able to deal with the more underhanded tactics terrorists tend to employ." In open combat he doubted Team RASY would have much trouble, they had Hunter training afterall. No, the issues would only realistically happen if they were caught off guard or put against someone much stronger than the average Hunter.

James seemed to debate something internally before letting out a sigh while the scowl slipped from his face, if only slightly. "I suppose they'll be safe with him…" he muttered to himself before turning his attention back to Ozpin. "But don't think I can't see what you're doing, showing him off to Vale before he's even done with his first year. He's not ready to become a symbol like you and I, Grimm or not he's still just a child."

Of course he would know what Oz was doing, it was a common tactic among every kingdom to give people someone to look up to, something to give them hope amidst the hordes of darkness. But saying Jaune was too young to handle a simple interview was nonsense coming from the man who allowed him to tear apart White Fang outposts for six years while he could truly be considered "just a child".

James didn't seem to catch the way Ozpin raised his eyebrow questioningly, either not seeing or refusing to acknowledge his own hypocrisy. His face remained as stubborn as ever causing a defeated sigh to escape the headmaster, was the general of the Atlassian military and headmaster of Atlas Academy truly letting emotion dictate his actions? Ozpin would have been shocked had he not already seen how he treated Jaune in person.

"I shall tell you what I told Qrow," Ozpin could feel a headache coming on. Qrow was one thing but having to explain his intentions to another world leader, one who employed the very strategy that he was questioning, was taxing on one's patience to say the least. "I have no intentions of forcing Jaune into a position he isn't ready for, for now all I am doing is easing some fears while introducing a talented young Huntsman."

"I think you mean introducing a new tool." Ozpin almost groaned at that, having to take a sip of coffee to hide his own waning patience. Had he manipulated people to further his own goals? Of course, but never had he forced someone to do something they didn't want to do. The only thing he withheld was the truth behind the Grimm and himself, and even then only if it didn't endanger them further not knowing.

"James please." Ozpin deadpanned, it almost felt like he was talking to Taiyang about Yang with how little thought was being put into the arguments. Being driven by any emotion besides anger was unheard of for the General whose steadfast honour, tempered by cold logic, made him one of the most powerful men on Remnant.

"I am not turning Jaune into some kind of mindless weapon, nor am I forcing him to become something he doesn't want to be." Ozpin thought that much was obvious, he wasn't some heartless monster that cared for nothing but results. He loved every one of his students and felt guilt clawed at him every time one of them failed to come back from a mission he sent them on.

James held his glare for a few seconds before letting out his scowl fade into a soft expression, well _softer_. It was still the General afterall. "You're right… Seeing Jaune and Tv with you caught me off guard, I suppose I'm just not used to having such little contact with one of my soldiers." _More like one soldier in particular,_ Ozpin thought but figured that was better left unsaid.

"So…" He cleared his throat, clearly hoping to change the subject. "What is this favor you're contacting me for?"

\\-/

" **So is this all you do when you're not teaching?"** Jaune asked, The bullhead rumbling in the background as they flew through the darkened sky. " **looking into rumors about stray packs of Grimm?"** he wasn't sure what he had expected from the Huntsman, but being sent to kill a couple Grimm seemed a little… mundane? Wasn't Qrow one of the few elite Huntsman that lived in Vale? What Grimm threat could be serious enough to warrant such a response? Maybe they would be fighting a goliath or something?

"Firstly from what I heard at the bar it sounds more like a swarm, not a pack. Big difference." The black haired man raised a finger as if to punctuate his points "Secondly, no it's not _all_ I do." He lowered his hand, returning his attention back to the bullhead before adding "Sometimes I get stuck babysitting."

Jaune wanted to get upset at the insinuation that he needed someone to watch over him but felt the argument die as a thought occurred to him. Was Qrow only doing such a simple mission because he had Jaune and his team to worry about? _I'm at beacon because a certain Grimm Hybrid that shall remain nameless was drawing the attention of a certain terrorist organization that shall also remain nameless_.

The meaning behind Qrow's words was obvious, it was his fault the huntsman was stuck protecting and training them. Which also meant it was his fault there was one less defender working to protect Vale's people.

An odd sense of guilt bubbled forth. He had already consumed so much of the man's time over the past two years, Of course as soon as he was free to continue his work Jaune had to done something that forced him back into his role of "babysitter". Of course the help was appreciated, but it would have been much easier for everybody if it wasn't needed at all.

" **Sorry…"** Jaune mumbled awkwardly, he really didn't mean to cause so much trouble but when did that make a difference? Even if his intentions were good that didn't change the fact that he made everyone's life harder when he spared Lucy the first time. Had he simply stayed quiet and allowed Whitback to do what it thought was best than everything that followed might have been avoided.

Or, more than likely he would have found something else to royally screw up while simultaneously putting innocent people's lives in danger. He seemed to have a talent for it…

"Don't let it bother you too much." Qrow spoke up, breaking the silence before it could continue growing "Like I said before, no matter how hard you try shit will eventually hit the fan." He pulled the control stick back, slowing the bullhead down. "You're trying to make up for the mistakes you've made, and that's a helluva lot more than most people can rightly claim…" He teetered off at the end, almost like he wasn't really actually saying the last part for Jaune.

" **What mistakes are you running from?"** The words slipped out without thought, causing a confusing jumble of emotions to pass over Qrow's worn features. "Dont… worry about it." He looked downwards with a frown on his face, slowing the bullhead's descent as he looked to be deep in thought.

"Just to be clear I'm not the one who's running." Jaune wasn't sure if it was his imagination or not but the Huntsman's words seem almost too defensive, almost as if he was trying to convince himself. "Let's just say some mistakes are better off just being forgotten…" Jaune nodded but said nothing, already seeing Qrow would not say any more.

They were on the ground and out the bullhead a few minutes later with Qrow stretching his limbs while Jaune looked around the small forest clearing. "James said you could see in the dark, that true?"

" **Ya, Whitback learned how to by "studying Faunus physiology" or something."** It was the "nice way" of saying they consumed a Faunus and subsequently learned about their night vision (or low-light vision as Whitback insisted it be called). The thought brought its own set a complicated emotions Jaune immediately pushed away, he couldn't let his mistakes slow him. " **I can't see any Grimm if that's what you're wondering."**

"Nah, if there was they would have already started attacking the bullhead. Just keep an eye out while we move, this swarm is supposed to be in a valley a few minutes north of here." Jaune turned his attention towards where Qrow had motioned and immediately felt his shield rise on it's own.

 **Do you see that?** Whitback warned as Jaune felt it focus their vision to the treeline, a figure in the distance becoming clear. It was hard to tell if it was a guy or girl but they were clearly dressed in all black, making it difficult for even faunus eyes to catch. Jaune also noted how, much like himself, they didn't seem to have any aura whatsoever.

" **I can see you in the trees there, come out now."** The figure hesitated for a moment, perhaps wondering how they had been seen, before jumping down and walking towards them. As the figure got closer Jaune could make it several weapons on their person, a handgun holstered on their right leg, a knife sheathed on the small of their back and finally a coiled whip hooked to their left leg. **Strange… Most Hunters seem to prefer mechashift weapons over carrying multiple options.**

"You must be the scout responsible for keeping an eye on the swarm." Qrow's face was the same as always but his posture suggested he could pounce one way or the other at a moments notice. Jaune let his shield come down as well but kept an eye on the shorter but broad shouldered figure.

"Ya that's right." It's voice mixed with the body shape made it rather obvious the figure was male even with the fabric mask covering the lower half of his face. "Gregory Miller, ex-mercenary." He gave a nod and before his eyes trailed to Jaune. "You two the Huntsman the town sent for?"

"The name's Qrow Branwen, and this little squirt is Jaune" Gregory glanced momentarily at Qrow but quickly went back to staring at Jaune. **The way he holds himself, the multiple weapons meant to cover all distances and even the way he hides his aura… I believe this describes an assassin far better than a mercenary.**

"You know some people might get the wrong idea, faunus wearing a white mask and all." There was something in the man's voice that put Jaune on edge. " **I'm not-"** Qrow coughed loudly, stopping Jaune from throwing away a perfectly good excuse. "He means he's not part of the White-Fang, the mask is for… aesthetic reasons."

"Right." The man didn't sound very convinced but didn't push the matter. "Either way, the town sent you for a week ago." Qrow raised an eyebrow, was the man insulting their response time? "Your intel is old" He clarified while pulling a scroll from his back pocket and tapping at it before handing it over.

The videofeed on screen held the green tint of artificial night vision, giving a view of a large valley from what must have been a tall tree. " **That…"** Jaune began as he looked at the screen over Qrow's shoulder " **That's a lot of Grimm."** The forest floor looked more akin to a blackened sea, the sheer numbers of Grimm making it difficult to see anything past the darkness that swallowed everything around it.

"So you're telling me," Qrow said while handing the scroll back. "That a group of grimm went from a swarm of a couple hundred, to what looks like a hoard of a few thousand?" Qrow deadpanned with an unfamiliar hardened look in his eye "And no one thought to warn us before we got here?"

"The mayor's an idiot," Gregory met the gaze head on "Refused to believe me, it's why I set up those cameras. I was just on my way back to show that fool why Retel needs to be abandoned. Might be more convincing if the news comes from an official Huntsman, Care to give me a lift back?" He motioned to the nearby bullhead.

Qrow didn't answer right away, instead looking downwards with a thoughtful expression. "What's there to think about? No way we can fight that many without reinforcements from the capital, and if there are any reinforcements to begin with, we have no way to know if we have the time to wait for them." It could be considered a miracle the Grimm hadn't attacked already and such a mission might be too dangerous for anyone other than full trained huntsman which Vale was sorely lacking. The man's logic wasn't wrong by any means but…

" **Those are people's homes and livelihoods you're asking them to abandon"** Jaune hadn't been here long but the past two days gave him more than enough time to see the townsfolk going about their business. It wasn't like they were simply going through the motions dully, the negativity from such a depressing atmosphere would have drawn the Grimm. The fact was they were happy. " **The moment you tell them to leave people will get upset, and I doubt you can evacuate such a large town before the Grimm arrive."**

Gregory raised a challenging eyebrow "Ya? What's your plan then? Gonna kill every one of them?" He scoffed and even to Jaune the sarcasm was obvious, though he wasn't sure why it was there to begin with. "Don't be an idiot, it would take you days to clear a hoard of that size, and that's only if the fighting doesn't cause the Grimm to stampede towards town."

" **And you're plan is better? Even if we can get everybody out of town that still leaves the hoard to move onto the next settlement."** It wasn't like the Grimm would just suddenly disappear if they left, it would be like sweeping the dirt under the rug. A short term solution, not actually solving the problem so much as hiding it. " **We have to do something, preferably before any more Grimm can make the problem any worse."**

"You're really going to risk the lives of everybody in town just to play the hero? How _brave_." The "mercenary" drawled sarcastically, as if Jaune was some glory seeking child. The idea was rejected as foolish, Jaune didn't care for glory and certainly didn't enjoy being the center of attention. He was so unused to interacting with others that he had yet to say more than a few sentences to anyone other than his own team.

But that didn't mean he was an idiot, he knew that killing so many Grimm before they could kill anyone would be all but impossible. That being said, evacuating such a large town without casualties would not be any easier. " **From what I remember the town only has a couple bullheads and a single train that's not even in the station, how do you plan on getting everyone out before the negativity caused by a mass evacuation draws those beasts."**

The answer was simple: You couldn't. And by the looks of it Gregory knew that, he just didn't care. "And…? You wanna get yourself killed just to _maybe_ save a few extra civies." He scoffed callously "You really are an idiot."

Jaune felt a sudden rush of anger, confusing him slightly until Whitback's frigid tone made it obvious where the anger was coming from. **At least I'm not a coward.** It took both men giving him a strange look for Jaune to realise the words had been spoken out loud.

" **We are not risking the lives of "a few extra civies" because you want to run away."** He wouldn't apologize, even if they weren't his words that didn't mean they any less of the truth. " **I don't know about "mercenaries" but Hunters don't leave people to die just to save themselves."**

"Ya not what I heard…" He mumbled with a roll of his eyes.

Jaune felt his own anger stir to life. Was this man really suggesting a hunter, what Ruby called a symbol of hope, would really turn their back on people in danger? Not only was he suggesting they abandon the town, but now he was calling his partner a liar. It was enough for Jaune to take a threatening step forward " **Care to explain what that's supposed to mean?"** For once he actually relished how his voice grinded against the eardrum.

"That's enough!" Qrow cut in before anything else could be said, an annoyed frown plastered on his face. "For God's sake, do either of you really think now is the best time to bicker like children?" He leveled a glare to Gregory but the truly disappointed look was saved for Jaune, making him look away with shame pooling in his gut.

"That's what I thought, now listen up the both of you." Qrow crossed his arms, the annoyed look still on his face. Maybe he just didn't like being the responsible one? "We are going to save as many people as we possibly can." He said to Jaune before turning to the older man "And we are going to do it _without_ some crazy, suicide mission."

Gregory didn't seem impressed "You really expect me to believe you can actually save this town with less casualties than a straight up evacuation?" the dumbfounded look on his face made it clear what he thought of the idea "You must think I'm as dumb as your brat." Jaune bit his tongue on the response he knew Whitback would have, Qrow already looked to be running low on patience without him feeding the flame.

"You can believe whatever you want." The Huntsman shrugged like he didn't care but Jaune could see the stiffness in the movement. A stiffness that spoke of a barely contained temper, Qrow must have hated the man's cruel attitude even more. That made sense, who wouldn't be pissed off when the career you chose to spend your life on was being insulted right in front of you?.

"But we are going to save every one of these people, without risking a single civilian." That gave even Jaune pause. Sure he was hoping they could save everyone but he didn't think he could sound half as confident as Qrow did. How could he? he had no real plan beyond charging in to kill the horde, at least Gregory had _some_ kind of plan. even if it was cowardly.

But Jaune knew Qrow well enough that the confidence in the man's voice was more than the pointless bragging of an old drunk. The confidence could only mean he had a plan, and the amount of said confidence hopefully meant the plan didn't rely solely on chance like Jaune's had. Or on the sacrifice of innocent lives like Gregory's.

"I have an idea, but first I need to make a couple of calls."

\~/

 **Sorry again for the lateness, I tried to put a bit more time into this chapter and I really hope it turn out well! Please let me know if the extra time spent is noticeable, if so hopefully its for the better but let me know if its worse! I overthink a lot. Also feel free to let me know if you notice no difference, wouldn't be as bad as being worse but not as good as being better though I would still like to know since I wont feel like i need to take so long to think things through. A part of me also feels like a need to apologies because despite what i just said isn't the whole truth, yes a part of the reason this is late is because i spent longer writing but I wont lie and said me being a lazy shit and putting another 60 hours into Kenshi (Game i enjoy)has nothing to do with it. It very much does. With that whole thing out of the way I look forward to hearing what everybody and anybody thinks how things are progression, both in story and character! As usual I hope you all of a wonderful morning/night!**

 **Sergeant Soul Snatcher, I'm so glad to hear you like it! You nailed how i was trying to show Whitback's relationship with Jaune. Yes there are negatives but with the plethora of positives (hopefully) it's really up to personal opinion if he is in a parasitic relationship or a symbiotic one. (though personally i see it as symbiotic) Hopefully i wont disappoint with the differences! I admit your words to take a break kind of influenced me to take a slower approach to this chapter, If you'd like to let me know if you think it helped I'm all ears! Hope I can keep you hooked!  
**

 **Dethcat, I hope that's a good sign :P I may not be the best with emotes but I always enjoy a review! :D I hope you're enjoying the story I've created :)**


	29. Chapter 29

**I Hope you all enjoyed the holidays! I'm a bit late but merry Christmas and all that noise, hope you like the chapter!**

\~/

 **Chapter 29**

It had barely been a week since Adam Taurus had returned to base and still the image of the abomination refused to leave his mind. It had taken two years for them to find any trace of the Grimm that had taken so much and now that he had finally found it, he could do nothing about it. Not only was the creature posing as a student at Beacon Academy but Cinder had made it clear she wanted to deal with the issue herself.

Normally he would never let the opinion of a human interfere with internal matters but this particular human held much more power than any individual should be able to. After seeing her strongarm some of the strongest figures in Vale's underworld her physical ability was unquestionable, but the influence she held over Sienna showed a wholly separate level of power. Why his leader would listen to the words of a human over his own he had no idea, but it was clear Sienna saw Cinder as invaluable to the WhiteFang.

That being the case Adam had a difficult time trying to convince Sienna of the danger this unique Grimm posed. His position in the WhiteFang gave him enough clout to have the basic description spread around along with a "Kill on sight" Order but nothing else would be done. No hit squads would be sent and no bounties would be placed, no matter how hard Adam pushed for it.

How could Sienna just let that creature run free? After all the Faunus it killed and all the damage it caused to their operations? How was he supposed to just leave it to a human to handle? Cinder cared nothing for what the WhiteFang stood for, she couldn't be trusted to properly punish their criminals.

But what choice did he have? Sienna's word was law, if she said the human would handle it than he could do nothing but stand down. His strength and accomplishments bought him some support within the Fang but he didn't have nearly enough to directly disobey an order. Not yet anyway.

"So I'm just supposed to stay back? After what it took from me…" his hands tightened into fists, a picture of Blake burning in his mind. "The day we met that abomination was the same day you left me behind." He could remember dragging her along, forcing her to follow him while she began babbling about the humans as if there was any innocent among them.

Then she was gone, her semblance easily breaking from his grip before she seemed to vanish altogether, forcing him to return home alone. Upon his return he felt more confusion than anything, Why had Blake thrown her life away for some humans? She knew just as well as he what they were capable of, it just didn't make sense why she would sacrifice herself for their sake.

Then he found out she was alive and suddenly it all made sense. She hadn't sacrificed herself for the humans. She ran away. Because of that _Thing._

"I don't know what you did to her…" It had to have done something, Blake was loyal to the WhiteFang and to him. She would not have been convinced to betray the Faunus, that had to mean she was somehow forced. "but I will take back what was stolen from me."

And that _freak_ will be punished for daring to lay a finger on what was his.

…

"Sir!"

"Hm…?" Adam looked up to the voice that had pulled him from his thoughts, finding a lower ranked member looking at him from the doorway. The young man looked around the hallway nervously before entering the office and closing the door with an anxious expression plastered on what little of his face that could be seen. Was he scared to be facing a higher ranked member? Or was it the news he carried that caused such fear?

"What is it?" Adam prompted, placing his current work aside and giving his full attention. The young man swallowed hard as sweat began to drip from his face, giving the impression he was doing something he really wasn't supposed to be. Absentmindedly Adam's hand rested on his sword, a habit when tension was in the air.

"You hate the abomination!" He blurted out suddenly "...Right?"

Adam idly wondered if the "young man" may have been closer to a boy than he first thought. The White Fang mask he wore hid most of his features but his nervous energy was palpable. "I do…" Adam answered cautiously, unsure what the point was.

"More than Sienna?"

Adam narrowed his eyes, what did Sienna have to do with it? What would it matter if he hated the creature more? He got to his feet and approached the boy, leaving his hand resting on the hilt of Wilt as a warning. If this was some kind stupid prank there would be hell to pay.

"That makes it sound like you're going behind her back, which would make you a traitor." Adam warned though kept his blade sheathed. "Why would you say something so dangerous to me when you must know I have Sienna's ear?"

"B-Because Sienna is wrong!" The boy tone spoke of fear of course but it lacked doubt, causing Adam to raise an eyebrow curiously. "I know she's our leader, and I know I could never hope to see what she sees but still... I can't accept her decision!" The emotional response wasn't a complete surprise but it did little to clarify anything.

"What decision? Explain." It wasn't a question but the boy didn't seem to have any intentions of hiding the truth. He seemed relieved more than anything, like he was expecting to have been shut up already

"I had just received a report for Sienna from a frontier town in Vale, a place called Retel." The name was easily recognizable, it was rare for Frontier towns to reach such a size without becoming well known to travellers. "We have a supporter there who feeds us intel from time to time so we kept them in the loop about persons of interest, in case someone passed through."

"And the abomination was seen?!" Adam connected the dots quickly, struggling to contain his shock. Was the Grimm really dumb enough to cast away the added protection Beacon afforded it? It wouldn't be completely unreachable at the school but surely it would be better than an open town anyone could access. In the end the reason didn't matter, This could be the White-Fang's best chance to get rid of an unpredictably powerful enemy.

"Ah but if you're here." Adam motioned to the boy as his thoughts continued to turn. "Then I assume she isn't taking the chance…" That could cause a stir, there were many within their organization that blamed the abomination and none would be pleased to hear about such a missed opportunity.

"It was that _human_!" The boy cut in with a glare of such contempt it forced Adam to reconsider his earlier judgement, maybe the boy wasn't as green as he first thought. "Sienna was about to make a call, I know it! But that woman in red stopped her!"

"Calm yourself!" Adam hissed while opening the doorway and checking the hall to make sure no one had heard the boys outburst. "If word were to get out that Sienna Khan was taking orders from a human, it would cause ripples throughout the entirety of the White-Fang." He explained after locking the door and returning to his previous position. "Such ripples would only serve to divide us. To weaken us."

"I guess…" The boy looked downwards with a frustrated frown, conflicting emotions flashing through his eyes before he raised them again "But we can't just let that _murderer_ go. _I_ can't let it go." Again Adam saw that glare. It was strange to feel such a strong murderous intent from someone who couldn't have been older than sixteen.

The boy had lost someone, that much was clear, but whether that person was actually killed by the abomination was nearly impossible to know. After hearing how the creature wiped out a major armory in Vale without a single corpse being left behind, most in the White Fang began blaming it for every facility and patrol that went missing without a trace.

Could the abomination have killed every member that it was now being blamed for? Considering how spread out the White Fang had become in recent years it would be impossible, no one could be in two places at once. Did that mean he wouldn't use it to his advantage? Such a suggestion of weakness was idiocy, plain and simple. Adam learned a long time ago that taking every advantage possible wasn't just a good idea, it was completely necessary if you wanted any kind of shot at changing the world.

"Who said anything about letting it go?" Adam replied curiously as a plan began to take shape in his head. "That _thing_ has silenced countless of our brothers and sisters," He let some of his fury slip into his voice to help drive his point home, or maybe he was just struggling to control it. "and has stolen something very precious to me. It will not escape justice."

The boy gave a knowing nod, perhaps believing they were in the same boat. "What will I be doing?" he pointedly did not ask if he _could_ help, making it clear he would not sit idly by.

Adam scratched at his chin as if he was thinking about what the boy could do, like he hadn't been planning for it the moment he saw the loyalty to Sienna waver. "Listen very carefully…" he began by grabbing the boy's shoulder to ensure the proper attention was given.

The "Plan", if it could be called that, was simple; have the boy spread the abominations location as quickly as possible. With how many deaths the thing was blamed for their was no way some of the more fanatical members wouldn't take matters into their own hands despite the Hunter level threat.

Best case the monster would be slain and Adam could take credit for having a hand in putting down a vile criminal, boosting his standing while undermining Sienna's. The Faunus would see him taking action while she chose to stay her hand, at the behest of a human no less.

But when was life ever that easy? The abomination would more than likely survive after slaughtering his comrades… Which would leave the boy in front of him to take the blame for disobeying orders and being summarily executed, marked as a race-traitor.

The latter option brought him no joy. Knowing full well that he was more than likely causing a massacre against his own people… hurt, to say the least. But no life would be lost without purpose, each would become a martyr in their own right. Each brought the White Fang closer to seeing the threat that the creature was to to revealing the truth behind Sienna's corruption.

And when she was rightfully marked as the race-traitor she was, he would be there to take her place.

Then his work could _truly_ begin, and the corruption that could only be known as humanity would finally be purged.

\\-/

Jaune looked through the trees once more, a frown playing behind his mask while he waited for Qrow to finish his scroll-call. Gregory stood a short distance away, his scowl mirrored how Jaune felt though he doubted it was for the same reason.

It turned out Qrow's idea was just a combination of Jaune's and Gregory's plans. The civilians would be gathered at a single, defensible point in the center of town. The town's militia would be concentrated around the civilians while small squads would be spread out among the watchtowers that overlooked the streets. The Civilians would then begin evacuating by Bullhead and considering the limited number of vehicles it would take two to three trips.

The closest town was an hour away which left the militia to hold off the Grimm for four to six hours. After which point the militia would be evacuated as well, leaving the Hunter-trained to handle the remaining threats. Without the risk of civilians being caught they could take their time and retreat to rest before continuing the extermination.

The plan wasn't perfect and put a tremendous risk on the town's militia which would explain Gregory's soured expression as he was technically apart of said militia. Jaune didn't like that part either but when the alternative had innocents being risked it became much easier to swallow. What really made him anxious was who was chosen to reinforce the militia as a mobile response squad.

 **They're going to be fine.** Whitback encouraged. **They are Huntresses after all, they've spent years training for this exact scenario.**

" **Huntresses-in-training."** Jaune felt the need to add if only to justify his anxiety but forced himself to take a breath and try to relax like he knew Whitback was trying to encourage. " **But I suppose you're right…"** Worrying would only cause distractions, it would be better to trust in his team and focus on his part of the plan.

All he had to do was stand at the edge of the valley, where the mountains had made something of a natural bottleneck, and kill as many Grimm as possible. It might have been dangerous for almost anybody else but with Whitback the risk was almost laughable. He was more worried about the Grimm running away than actually injuring him.

His job was easy, he didn't have to go door to door waking people up in the middle of the night to tell them they had to leave everything behind. He didn't have to fight surrounded by those people's livelihoods all while hoping and praying that nobody had been left behind for the Grimm to find.

He took another breath and released it slowly, trying to push his worries out with the air. His team would be fine. They were specifically trained to fight Grimm, not to mention Retel's militia and any fortifications the town had. This being a frontier town it must be used to fighting off Grimm, there was no way it would fail against the few that made it past him.

But what if more than a few made it past him?

"Jaune?" he flinched slightly as Qrow suddenly appeared inches away with a critical look in his eye. "Are you alright? I don't mean to pressure you but I can't have you zoning out in the field." Jaune looked downwards feeling embarrassed and a bit guilty at being caught.

"What a surprise, the greenhorn is scared." Gregory mocked. Qrow just rolled his eyes and nudged Jaune to keep his attention. "Ignore him, he's just pissy he actually has to fight. Are you good?" Jaune shook the doubt from his mind and nodded.

" **I'm alright."** Qrow believed in his team after all, and the man wasn't what Jaune would call an optimist. He just had to make sure he did his part and stop as many Grimm as possible. They would be fine, they said they weren't leave him so they couldn't just disappear right?

Qrow returned the nod "Then why don't you get the rest of your gear from the bullhead? You'll be fighting much more Grimm than we first thought so it wouldn't do to leave any openings." He tapped the back of Jaune's head to bring attention to the lack of armor on his head. "Should probably also grab you're other weapon, the big one you use to kill lots of Grimm." The hint went right over Jaune's head and he almost asked what Qrow was talking about.

 **He's covering for us Jaune,** Whitback kept their mouth shut. **He's suggesting we add some armor and make a weapon specifically for killing large numbers of Grimm.**

" **R-right, got it"** He recovered quickly while trying to hide his embarrassment before rushing into the Bullhead. He waited until he was inside and out of Gregory's sight line before asking what kind of weapon they should use.

 **Well…** Whitback began as the material around their head shifted before solidifying into a helmet to match his armor. **Seeing as how we've only seen one type of weapon used in live combat against Grimm I would say it's a foregone conclusion.** Jaune was going to ask what he meant but the material forming in his hand answered his question before he had the chance.

" **A scythe?"** Jaune said curiously as he inspected the pale white weapon. It was bigger than both Ruby's and Qrow's but not by a large margin, the extra size being more for the weight rather than any kind of range increase. " **I guess we have seen Qrow fight Grimm during our training, so I guess it's easier to fight with weapons we've seen used before?"**

 **Of course. Ever since that Bull faunus and Qrow showed us how much brute force could fail I made it a point to memorise all combat styles we encounter for the next time we meet an opponent too powerful or fast to crush. We'll have to bring our minds together like we used to but it should allow us to fight Grimm on a level similar to Qrow. Minus his experience and tricks but add our stamina and strength and I believe us equal against the Grimm.**

He was as strong as Qrow now? That came as a surprise, though Jaune didn't miss how Whitback specified "against the Grimm". He might have been a bit oblivious sometimes but that didn't mean he didn't listen when people spoke. And just like he caught Whitback's words so too did he catch Qrow's. He said "No civilian casualties", meaning he was expecting some of the militia to die.

" **Is there anything else we can bring...?"** he wondered out loud. Maybe he could spare the militia some trouble if he expanded his arsenal? **I'm hesitant to suggest it, considering the waste of material but…**

" **The more we kill the less that will reach the town."** Jaune pointed out immediately, letting some of his frustration show at Whitback's hesitance. " **No amount of material could be worth a person's life."** There was a silence before Whitback finally relented.

 **...Very well.** At his word black veins spread through his armor as large amount of material was pulled forward and reshaped. A few moments later Jaune walked out of the bullhead wearing a familiar cloak with a few hundred pointed surprised strapped beneath. His sword remained sheath while he kept the scythe in hand and in place of a shield a longbow sat strapped to a quiver on his back.

"Well you sure look prepared." Qrow commented with a complimentary whistle "Whole new level of armed to the teeth." Jaune could only shrug while the motion caused many of the knives in his cloak to clack against his armor, proving the Huntsman's point. "Are you ready?"

" **As ready as I'll ever be."**

 **\~/**

 **Took me awhile, sorry about that, but I'm happy to have finally got it out. Going a bit deeper into adam's psyche was interesting, not sure how well I did the blinded by pride and arrogance thing but I couldn't see Adam as the same level as Cinder. Even if he's bloody psycho from what i've seen (I've seen just after the fall of beacon) he truly believes what he is doing is the right course. that being said I don't remember seeing much of adam so maybe he was actually just an arrogant child getting pissed off that his ex left him. Also tried showing a bit more of how Jaune sees his team and his fear of losing them. figured that fear would probably be something ingrained pretty deeply in Jaune's mind. Oh and about the updates slowing way down lately I don't have any real excuse, Winter is tough for me and my seven pm to three am shifts aren't really helping. That isn't to say I'll be dropping this but unfortunately my rate of updates may not get any better. I wish you all a wonderful morning/night.**

 **PS, I made a bit of an error last chapter, the white fang have only had Jaune's description for two years give or take, not a decade. My bad. I thought about going back and changing it but than I thought about all the other mistakes that I should be going back and fix and i kind of thought I would just leave it, for now at least. Lemme know if that's some nonsense.**

 **Sergeant Soul Snatcher, Understandable to hear, Rereading the chapter I actually found some mistakes so personally I'd have to say it was a sideway's movement at best. I know I don't really have to follow a schedule but I was hoping to if only to prove to myself I could, you're right though. no big loss either way. You are spot with you analysis, even more so than I was as i got a touch mixed up with my definitions, woops! As you're probably noticing I love make incredibly powerful characters, I am the biggest sucker for a power fantasy whether it be in anime, reading or video games I f*cking love them! With the illusions you're also very correct in assuming he only has limited resistance when compared to his other abilities, something I hope to have made clear with Neo. He is not immune to illusions but has a large amount of options to break said illusions (which I am definitely going to have to use at some point.) Thank you for the review/analysis! I enjoyed reading it and hope I didn't disappoint with this most recent chapter!**

 **dragoon109, I admit I'm not positive I completely understand you question but I will do my best to explain my logic behind my characters and also explain why i specifically wrote Weiss that way in chapter 19 (the initiation if i'm not mistaken). I write characters based on how i believe their core being is, like how i think most writers do. I have a set of morals and such in my head for each character. Ruby is a major bleeding heart with a lot of love for what I believe she sees as family (both biological family and the friends that i truly think she sees as another sort of family.) Weiss would be the arrogant girl who believes struggles with feeling superior at times but also has the heart to feel bad about that and to actively try and change that about herself. She enjoys things that are calm, quiet and orderly and feels a great sense of duty towards her heritage. I could go on but that is the idea behind how i write characters. For that chapter specifically I would have to say I chose to follow the anime to a certain extent, believing that I hadn't changed enough to have that event play differently than the anime. side note with the changes i did Ruby did not attack out of nowhere in the forest and also did not ride a giant nevermore. The first and last thing are true and part of the reason I thought she would dislike ruby to begin with. I'm sorry I'm babbling a bit at this point, hope that answered your question and if not please let me know! Thanks for the feedback!**

 **Dethcat, I'm always happy to read something so positive. I've not fully rewatched the anime in awhile so it's nice to hear I'm keeping characters in line! My goal is to try and show a realistic (at least as much as i can manage) reaction to a series on non-canon events so that part is kind of important to me. I hope to keep you reading! Thanks for the support!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Been awhile, sorry bout that! Hope the extra length was worth it!**

 **\~/**

 **Chapter 30**

Stupid, suicidal hunstman. Tricking the mayor into being given free rein over the town's security. Like it'd make an ounce of difference. Why couldn't they understand? They all saw the video feed, there had to be thousands of the beasts! There's no way a single Huntsman with three trainees could ever hope to take on a horde that size. And he doubted the town could even hold the amount of ammunition the militia would need to make a difference.

It was an impossible task. If he stayed and fought he had no doubt he would die. Retel was a nice place, having sheltered him for a few years but nothing was worth dying for. If the idiot Huntsman and his tagalongs wanted to kill themselves along with an entire town that was their choice. He wasn't going to be dragged down with them.

All Gregory needed was a chance to slip away, the faunus kid might see him but all that armor and weaponry should keep him from giving chase. Once he got away he could suppress his aura and make his way back to some kind of civilization. It would be difficult to survive in the Grimm infested forest but it was better than staying and being torn to shreds by several hundred Beowolves.

"I've gotta move the Bullhead" Qrow interrupted the thought, coincidentally providing the perfect chance to slip away. "It's in the Grimm's path and I'd rather not risk our only Grimm-free way back to town." He explained before turning to the vehicle. "I should make it back to the valley before the fighting starts." With a wave backwards he entered the Bullhead and flew off.

Jaune was already walking towards the valley, not even bothering to check if Gregory was following. This was his chance, neither of them seemed to even care if he followed so was he really even abandoning them? He took a step back and prepared to make a break for it.

" **You're scared."** The brat's voice nearly made him jump, such an abnormally harsh sound he almost thought it was a semblance of some kind.

"Excuse me?" Gregory turned to the kid that was now facing him. He wouldn't, or perhaps couldn't, be embarrassed at being caught. So what if these idiots would call him cowardly for running? They would all be dead soon while he would still be alive, in the end that's all that mattered.

" **You can run if you want."** He motioned towards the trees around, his cloak clacking noisily from the action. " **But I doubt you'll make it very far."** Gregory wasn't one to let pride bog him down, yet the child's words made his fist clench.

"Is that a threat…?" He asked dangerously, hand reaching for his whip. He didn't need to beat the kid, just tangle him up enough to get away. Maybe shoot a few explosive rounds into his eye slots for good measure, they weren't so far that he would miss.

Jaune just tilted his head in an oddly simple display of confusion. " **Why would I say you could run if I just wanted to stop you?"** Gregory continued to glare, refusing to let go of his weapon. " **No, I'm not threatening you."** He sounded annoyed but still didn't reach for his weapons.

" **I don't have time to explain the dangers of wandering a Grimm infested forest. Leave if you want."** He turned his back as if to prove his point. " **I don't know if Qrow and I can kill enough Grimm to save every civilian but I won't force you to stay. Everyone deserves a choice."**

"And what? You choose to kill yourself for the _chance_ that someone might live?" It was that kind of idiotic, self sacrificing bullshit that got talented young Hunters killed. The kind of bullshit that got overconfident kids killed…

"Why make that choice? How could that possibly seem like a positive outcome?!" Gregory hadn't meant to yell but the brat's "white knight" attitude was bringing up a slew of unpleasant memories.

"If you're lucky your entire team will die, but odds are at least one of you will make it onto a Bullhead." Gregory marched forward angrily, his plan to escape all but forgotten in favor of teaching this brat a lesson.

"One of you will escape. But only after watching the people you spent _years_ of your _fucking_ life with get ripped apart by _monsters_. Years of joyful memories turned sour in an instant..." He ignored the stinging in his eyes as he spoke, choosing to instead focus on the hate burning in his gut.

"How well do you think you'll hold up after that, huh? How long until you start wondering what the barrel of a gun tastes like?!"

That caused a flinch. Good, maybe the brat would think twice before acting all high and mighty again. It was only after he heard a low growl from a few feet away did Gregory realise how much anger he let out. Not enough to bring the horde upon them but still enough to draw an ursa that must have been wandering nearby.

He barely had time to curse and reach for his weapon when a flash of white struck agility that shouldn't have been possible in a full suit of armor, Jaune's oversized gardening tool relieved the Grimm of it's various limbs with methodical precision.

There was a pause as reality seemed to play catchup before the grimm hit the ground.

" **I don't know what I would do…"** Jaune was looking downwards thoughtfully while the corpse dissolved around him, his voice completely unshaken by the surprise attack. " **Maybe you're right and I'd snap. Maybe I would try to seek justice and try to kill anyone involved… Maybe I would try to end it all"** He looked up suddenly with black eye slots that somehow seemed to burn a hole straight through the soul.

" **But that doesn't make it okay. That doesn't make it any less of the wrong answer."** Jaune stepped forward purposefully. " _ **If**_ **someone sacrificed themselves for me, I refuse to believe they did it just for me to become something less."** An armored finger jabbed forward. " **They died so we could live. So we could grow. Not so we could throw ourselves into a pit of fear and hatred!"**

" **So run if that's what you really want to do. If that's what you believe will help you continue to live and grow then you shouldn't hesitate."**

" **But if you're running just to continue wondering "What the barrely of a gun tastes like" then you should at least have the courtesy to not act like** _ **I'm**_ **the crazy one!"**

Gregory stared dumbly, unable to form a response immediately. The kid was wrong. He had to be. It was insanity to throw your life away for any reason. He was insane, just like every Huntress and Huntsman who had willingly jumped into the meat grinder. All to protect something as stupid as innocence. Like such a thing could even exist in this world of monsters.

"You're wrong. Killing ourselves to save a handful of civilians only serves to weaken humanity's ability to fight back." Gregory tried to keep his emotions in check, not wanting to draw any more Grimm. "It's something only empty headed idiots do because they think dying is somehow heroic."

" **Who said anything about killing ourselves?!"** Jaune threw his free hand up, his tone turning exasperated. " **If we had absolutely no chance at succeeding do you think I would be letting my team, my only friends, fight by themselves? Do you really think that Huntsman would let his nieces kill themselves?!"** Gregory tried to interject that he had no idea who the Huntsman family was but Jaune pressed on without pause.

" **If things become so dire that we might all die obviously a retreat will be called. Yes there is still a large risk to ourselves, but that's what it means to be a soldier. Hunter or simple city guard, our job is to protect the people."** Jaune turned away and began walking, apparently done wasting time.

" **We're not expected to die at command but I doubt anyone expected you to turn tail and run without even trying."**

And like that, the young knight disappeared into the brush, walking off to fight a horde of demons like it was preferable to wasting another word. Which left Gregory standing alone with his thoughts keeping him from making a break for it.

Did he stay and fight? He hadn't fought more than a handful of Grimm at once since he lost his team so long ago. The thought of doing so again was… Scary.

He knew he was a coward ever since he gave up on his Huntsman career, doubly so for stooping to human contracts at times when simple guard jobs didn't bring in enough lien. He was a coward, and he had accepted that about himself.

So why did the brat's words piss him off so much…?

"Fucking hell…"

\\-/

Jaune fumed silently as he made his way towards the valley. Did that guy really think he was some dumb kid with a death wish? Or maybe he just thought all hunters would seek glory with reckless abandon. It didn't matter which it was, both options were insulting in their own ways.

Where did that failed excuse of a huntsman get off!

 **It's alright Jaune.** Whitback spoke calmly, having sensed the turmoil in Jaune. **I don't like him either. How someone so cowardly can simultaneously be so prideful simply boggles the mind.** Jaune huffed his agreement, if he was going to runaway you'd think he'd at least have a bit of humility.

 **However, considering how little he knows of our abilities, I'd say his aversion to fighting with us is… understandable, in a sense.** Whitback seemed almost hesitant and Jaune found himself surprised.

" **Whitback, are you… Defending him?"** The thought made his lips quirk upwards. Not because Whitback was defending Gregory -honestly that actually annoyed him slightly- But because it was defending a human at all. The Grimm was rather open about it's dislike of human and faunus kind, to hear something that contradicted that was… nice.

 **I'm not defending that coward. All I am saying is that without knowledge of our abilities, certain death is a logical answer to the situation we find ourselves in.** Whitback spoke as he always did, without a hint of deceit. Not that Jaune thought it was lying but the fact that it was defending a human that Jaune didn't even like spoke of something.

" **I'm not saying you're wrong."** Jaune corrected " **It's just… you've never really defended anyone other than me before. Especially when I'm angry with them."** He believed Whitback might defend someone if it thought it would make Jaune feel better but in this scenario? Where there was no real benefit? It didn't make sense. " **So why?"**

Whitback remained silent but Jaune knew it had heard him and was just thinking it's response over. By the time Whitback answered Jaune was already in position a hundred or so meters from the valley's entrance.

 **I suppose.** Whitback began slowly. **that perhaps it's because I understand what that human went through…** It sounded quieter, almost sad as it continued. **I have seen what happens when a person loses everything… To go through that without anyone to talk to.**

 **It sounds painfully lonely.**

Jaune felt an unexpected and painful feeling swell in his stomach. The realization that he could have easily been the one in Gregory's shoes wasn't a pleasant experience. It was easy to look down at the man as a coward but would Jaune be any different had Whitback not been there to keep him from succumbing to grief all those years ago?

 **I'm sorry Jaune,** Whitback apologised suddenly **I hadn't intended to make you feel worse.** Jaune shook his head in response, " **No, it's alright. I think this feeling is… important."** Maybe it would help keep him from judging so harshly. If he could forgive Blake for going overboard with the WhiteFang, then why shouldn't he forgive a failed Huntsman for doing too little?

"Hey runt," Jaune looked back to see Qrow making his way through the foliage. "how are the Grimm looking? Still no movement?" The older Huntsman already had his weapon drawn in it's sword form, though he had it leaning lazily against his shoulder.

Jaune shook his head, not even bothering to look at the beasts in question. " **We're fine for now, there's no negativity in the air yet."** Aside from a single resentful merc, or ex huntsman or whatever gregory was considered at this point. " **Might take some time for enough people to be woken up."**

Qrow hummed his understanding and looked towards the valley entrance with squinted eyes. There wasn't much in the way of foliage blocking their sight line, most of that was behind them. But the darkness would have made it next to impossible for Qrow to see the Grimm from their distance.

"We should move a bit closer, we still got a couple dozen meters before they'll sense my aura. Plus I can't see shit from here." Qrow went to move closer but paused when Jaune raised his hand.

" **I'm more worried about the mercenary's bad mood drawing them than I am about your Aura."** Qrow looked surprised at that, raising an eyebrow curiously. "Mopey-merc hasn't run off yet? I expected him to be gone the moment I turned my back." He scratched at his chin, oblivious to the slight movements in the brush behind him.

"You know, It's rude to talk about someone behind their back." Jaune had to hold back a snicker as Qrow flinched ever so slightly before recovering quickly. "Decided to stick around eh?" The Huntsman questioned while sending a quick glare to his student.

"Ya well, your brat seemed pretty confident so I thought 'screw it, might as well see why.'." Gregory shrugged to Qrow before turning a critical eye to Jaune. "You better not disappoint. I swear if your only tricks are that freaky voice, an oversized gardening tool, and some string on a stick I'm gonna be pissed."

Jaune chuckled at that while sticking his scythe into the ground and pulling free his "string on a stick". " **Well I do have some kitchen utensils tucked away, just in case."** He returned the sarcasm with a smirk under his mask, his earlier anger dulled. If the man needed to be snarky to get past his fear than so be it, Jaune could only be grateful to have the extra help managing so many Grimm.

As the seconds turned into minutes Jaune found his mind wandering back to the town and his team within. Their training with Qrow might not have been for long but it gave a good idea just how strong team R-SY was. An hour and a half of intense fighting wasn't something to scoff at. Considering Qrow more than likely had them running drills beforehand it was downright impressive they could last so long. His team was amongst the strongest of the first years, there was no doubt they would be fine.

The thought did little to calm the anxiety swelling in his stomach. What if something went wrong? What if there was a Grimm too big? What if the fighting drew another group of Grimm? All it would take was a small swarm from the wrong direction to ruin their whole plan, killing everyone in Retel.

It was the drifting scent of negativity that brought him back to reality. He couldn't afford to get distracted now, not when the safety of so many hung in the balance. His team was relying on him. His friends were trusting him. What kind of person would he be if he didn't do the same in return?

He took in a deep breath, letting the unnecessary action calm his nerves while he pulled an arrow from his quiver. In one swift motion the arrow was placed against the bow and drawn back. An extra second was given for Whitback to adjust the aim before Jaune loosed the projectile.

A second later another arrow was in it's place, twelve seconds after that an empty quiver hit the dirt along with the discarded bow. Scythe in hand, Jaune charged forward with a guttural roar.

Meeting the hordes deadly advance head on.

\\-/

 _ **Boom**_

Ruby finished exhaling as she watched the corpse of a Beowolf begin dissolving in the distance through the sights of her scope. A fresh round was pushed into the chamber and she began scanning the town once more. Her face looked set in stone, an odd look for the normally cheerful rose and one that was definitely strained.

" _Sniper one, status update."_ A stern voice commanded suddenly, causing Ruby to jump and nearly lose her footing on the roof shingles. With a yelp she flicked her Crescent Rose out and stabbed it downwards to gain some leverage. She readjusted herself atop the belltower while desperately trying to regain the composure she had fought so hard to create.

" _Sniper one, do you copy?"_ The voice rang out again, causing her to squeak nervously and reach for the radio at her belt. "S-sorry Crossroads," Why did she have to stutter? It made her sound like such a kid... At least she remembered the callsign this time.

"Just some stray Grimm, no sign of the horde." She tried to put a bit more confidence into her voice, she was supposed to be a protector of mankind after all. What kind of Huntress squeaked and stuttered? None she had met.

" _Copy that, keep your eyes open. If the forward party falls before they can send a message you will be the first to know."_ She confirmed her understanding before quickly tucking the radio back away. The reminder of her responsibilities only served to worsen the shaking in her legs.

She tried taking deep breaths like she had seen Jaune do so many times before, if it worked for him it could work for her right?The pounding in her chest that refused to slow made it clear just how wrong she was.

She tried to tell herself that everything would turn out fine. She knew what Yang was capable of first hand and had seen what Weiss could do in combat class. Neither would fall easily to the horde. And Jaune was stronger than all of them, plus he had Qrow with him! Qrow was unstoppable!

If the worst happened and the Grimm overan them, her team had the best chance of escaping. Even with their aura acting as beacons to the monsters they would be practically invisible with so much negativity in the air. It would actually be pretty easy to escape if they tried to.

But what would that mean for the ones supplying the negativity? Almost unconsciously she found her eyes tracing over the gathering of people at the town's center.

More and more made their way to the gathering. Finding their way around the modest defenses with what Ruby imagined to be scared and confused expressions. If the Grimm forced RWBY to retreat, those people would be the ones to suffer most. The militia would of course do their best to protect their families but in the end the Grimm wouldn't care.

Everybody would be slaughtered.

Ruby's fist shook and she quickly turned to continue scanning the edges of town for darkness with a new vigor. She had to succeed, the alternative was unacceptable. Failure was not an option. Heroes didn't accept defeat no matter what, and she was going to be a hero! Just like the Hunter's in her books.

Just like her mom.

\\-/

Everything was going to be just fine.

Yang had to keep telling herself that. Her sister may have been younger but that didn't make her any less of a fighter. She's one of the top students in Miss Goodwitch's class so it wasn't like her skills could be questioned. Her little rose had thorns of her own, it couldn't be denied.

But would that be enough against a horde of demons?

Yang would never say it out loud but she knew Qrow was one of the best huntsman in Vale. He was incredibly tightlipped about what jobs he would handle but every one was given directly by Ozpin, one of the most influential people in the country. Had she any doubts of his skill their most recent spars would have erased them.

Jaune was… Well, He didn't count. Yang honestly had trouble worrying about him, because of how strong he was. Nothing to do with how his eyes burned in her mind.

Weiss had the best tutors and dust money could buy along with two extra years of training. Add the fact that Yang would be fighting directly alongside the heiress and it became much easier not to worry about her partner.

Ruby was different, she didn't have years of experience like Qrow and she didn't have someone to watch her back like Weiss. She was the only sharpshooter in town so they needed her as a spotter, but that left her completely by herself atop the belltower. With A gathering of scared people to her back and an army of Grimm to her front.

Just regular Hunter things…

"You're worrying about her again." Yang flinched at Weiss' statement, realizing she was staring at the belltower again.

"Would you believe me if I said no?" She tried to cover her anxiety with a shrug and smirk. She didn't want to worry her partner but her thoughts wouldn't stop. So much could go wrong. What if there was more Grimm than they expected? Or stronger Grimm? What if the town's defenses weren't as strong as they thought?

Hell, a storm could hit and throw everything into chaos. There was just no telling what could go wrong.

"You shouldn't worry so much. She's the leader of team RASY after all, the strongest first years of beacon" Weiss insisted with a confident nod.

"Oh ya? Forgetting about NNBL? Pyrrha did beat Jaune in class." Yang couldn't resist pointing out in hopes of a reaction, maybe even a pout if she was lucky.

No luck it seemed as her partner chose to scoff instead.

" Oh please," She waved a hand with the other on her hip "Jaune wasn't allowed to use his stamina to his advantage. We both know who would win if his "Aura" wasn't tracked."

Of course they did. Anyone who knew what Jaune actually was would know not even the invincible girl would be able to win. The strongest student in Beacon didn't stand a chance against a single Grimm.

Yang tried to shake the thought before it could take shape. Jaune was a nice guy and an awesome teammate. He was quiet and a little naive but still tried his best. He wasn't some mindless Grimm seeking to destroy _everything_ in her life. He wasn't that kind of person.

Right…?

\\-/

It started out well enough, a dozen arrows for a hundred Grimm seemed like a fair trade. With how the Valley narrowed at the entrance it almost looked like Jaune had made a noticeable dent in their numbers. It would have been a significant advantage to take in so short a time, had there not been a few thousand replacements.

No single Grimm put up much in the way of resistance. With Whitback's intelligence and power backing Jaune's will and determination nothing could stand against them. The smaller Beowolves and Creeps were crushed underfoot in an instant. The larger Grimm lasted a fraction of a second longer before a large scythe relieved them of their essential limbs and organs.

Barely twenty minutes into the battle and the clearing was littered with the dead and dying beasts. The amount of evaporating corpses concentrated around Jaune created what looked like a murky fog. Though the gaseous material wasn't poisonous it still made it difficult to breath, forcing the two humans in the clearing to fall back.

Jaune noticed the pair drop back but refused to do the same himself. Unlike them, his body could handle the stress of sustained intense exercise almost indefinitely without the need for oxygen.

The bigger risk came from his armor breaking from taking too many hits. With Gregory and his camera's watching, Jaune would much rather keep his armor fully intact to reduce his risk of exposure.

It was fairly easy to avoid being hit by the larger Grimm capable of inflicting such damage. The beasts were strong in their own right, able to crush a person with ease if given the chance. Against the hybrid though? They might as well have been children throwing a temper tantrum.

It wasn't until he hit the forty minute mark that Jaune began to feel something… off.

He grunted as a large Ursa smacked his weapon, surprising him enough to slip past. Many grimm had passed him before but none had done it through such a direct path. It was enough to draw a growl of frustration as the mistake was corrected with a thrown dagger.

The sharpened material landed with a dull thud, the creature crying out in pain.

Then it continued forward, the dagger sticking uselessly out of it's hindquarters.

" **I...missed…?"** Jaune stared in confusion. He had never missed before, Whitback wouldn't allow it.

Before he could process what had happened he felt something impact his flank, sending him flying into the dirt. He jumped back to his feet, spinning his scythe around him in hopes of stopping more Grimm from slipping past.

The desperate move cost him the weapon as it lodged itself into a deathstalker's armored plates, getting yanked away when the creature continued it's charge.

What was going on? Why was he making so many mistakes?! Why couldn't he feel Whitback's influence anymore…? And why was his head pounding so hard?!

Desperately Jaune pulled his sword free. He couldn't stop now, not with so many innocent lives at his back. He tried to swing the blade like Qrow had taught him, just like he had done with Lucy. It was successfully in cutting down several Grimm in his path but the endless torrent never ceased.

He didn't even see the grimm that knocked him over once more, the hoard seeming to surge forward with new vigour. He barely felt the hit, more of a lovetap when compared to the Deathstalker from initiation. So why did it frustrate him so much? Why did it make his skin feel like it was on fire?!

It was then he noticed the smell he had been so focused on ignoring. That sickening scent that had steadily been getting worse since the evacuation started. It's slow rise had let it go mostly unnoticed but now that Jaune had noticed it, it was all he could do to keep his thoughts straight.

'Come on Jaune you can do this, you've been training for this day for years.' He told himself, trying his best to keep his thoughts calm as he cut down an alpha Beowolf. 'You are not a slave to your bloodlust, instinct, or emotions!' It was quickly replaced with three more, all frenzied and desperate to reach Retel.

The negativity was only getting worse along with the pounding in Jaune skull. He tried to keep focused on the task at hand but it was becoming increasingly difficult. He started wondering where all the negativity was coming from.

That's obvious, it was coming from the town he was protecting.

 _But why are you protecting it?_

Because they were innocent, they didn't deserve to die such horrible deaths.

 _How do you know that? You don't know any of them._

That wasn't right, it wasn't just strangers in that town. He knew people there. His friends were there now. His team was fighting to protect the town just like him. His partner was fighting just like him.

 _With all this negativity, don't you think something's gone wrong?_

They were strong. They survived fighting Lucy, they were fine. They had to be.

 _Are you sure? what happens if you're wrong._

 _What happens if they're dead._

" _ **NO!"**_ The scream tore it's way from Jaune's throat while savagely swinging his sword at the nearest grimm. It smashed against the beast's armor plating, any thought of aiming completely forgotten. The force of the strike cracked the sword and completely decimated it's target.

In the back of his mind Jaune could feel his muscles tearing and bones cracking from the sudden lack of restraint. He didn't care. His body held literally tons of material to heal with. It didn't matter how much material he wasted nor how much it burned in order to do so quickly. None of these _monsters_ were reaching his team. His first ever friends.

They wouldn't be taken like his family was.

He would not allow it.

\~/

 **Hot damn this took me a minute or two to write. I was originally planning on finishing the entire horde fight this chapter and was kind of stubbornly clinging to that idea (which is partially why it took so long and is completely why there's much more written than normal). But christ on a crispy cringle it was much more than i thought it would be in my head. I decided a whole two months with no update was probably not great so i decided to edit up what i had and here we are! I wanted to push character progression and hopefully get a bit deeper with the personalities, I'm very curious to hear if I've done well in that respect as I tried to spread it out over multiple characters both oc and ooc. As always I hope to hear what any of ya think and hope you all have a wonderful day/night!**

 **Sm0keyPanda, good to hear from you again! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it and hope I didn't disappoint with the battle! I'm thinking it should be done by next chapter, hopefully. It's true that often times the longer the story gets the more mistakes end up snowballing! Maybe one day I'll re-edit the entire story once it's done? Not sure yet. I've thought about completely rewriting the beginning in hopes of making the children more realistic but I'm rambling now. Hope you keep on readin!**

 **Sergeant Soul Snatcher, I hope the length of this chapter makes up some for the last! I wish I could your reason as an excuse but honestly I am incredibly reclusive, I have maybe two friends who i game with online and that about sums up my social life. I've never been much of a fan of socializing though my days now are being filled with work mainly. luckily my new shift is ends at 12 now so at least im not falling asleep at 5 am anymore. Also about the bad OP writers, I would say calm down there satan but I you're goddamned right! I usually give most OP stories a try (with anime and games and such) But some of them are just sooo cringy! I was an edgy af teen but some people made me seem tame in comparison. I always like to respond to my reviews! I'm may not be very good at socializing but I still love the thought of others enjoying my work as well as thinking it might be improving! I know seeking validation can be bad and i am writing this story because i want to, not just for the attention. but I still think it feels nice to be recognized every now and then! Hope this chapter is up to snuff and thanks again!**

 **Vashta-Neradaed, I chose to have Jaune spare Lucy the first time because I believed his confidence in his judgment of right and wrong to be shaken greatly after the whole Blake fiasco. I agree completely that the world of remnant is a ruthless world where mercy will only cost you (In lucy's case it cost the lives of several innocent lives when she went berserk a chapter or two later). That being said I didn't think Jaune was cold hearted enough to do that at the time, if he could go back it might be different after seeing the consequences but I beleived he needed to experience the consequences of mercy first hand. I Hope that answered your question and thank you for taking the time to review!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Aw shit, here we go again.**

\~/

 **chapter 31**

Qrow had warned them that the assault would only get worse as time wore on. The militia would try their best to keep the civilians calm, but there was only so much that could be done. The sound of gunfire combined with the roars of enraged Grimm took it's toll on the untrained psyche of the average person.

Ruby had known this in advance and still couldn't wrap her mind around just how many Grimm were throwing themselves at Retel. Not even two hours in and she had used more than two-thirds of the ammo stockpile the town had provided. Gods, did she hope the evacuation wouldn't take six hours. She was starting to doubt they could even last the four…

"No, bad Ruby!" She shook the thought from her head and refocused on the task at hand. "You're on a team of super awesome Hunters!" She told herself while her scope slid over Yang and Weiss. They were busy holding off a group of beowolves that must have been fast or smart enough to get past the defense towers.

She felt her heart skip a beat as one of the creatures narrowly missed her sister, the ice dust building around it slowing it down. With barely a twitch, flame dust was ignited in Crescent Rose and the Grimm dropped to the ground. A high caliber projectile lodged in it's head.

She expected to see Yang give a nod or even just continue fighting. Instead Ruby saw her sister desperately waving up to her and pointing down the road. With a slight adjustment, Ruby's scope landed on the defensive tower that Yang was pointing at. Just in time to see an Ursa smash out one of the support beams.

She reacted quickly, Placing the beast's head between her crosshairs and firing. But it was too late, the damage was already done. If she had to guess, the men on the tower must have heard the support snap and panicked. There was no other way such a large number of Grimm would have diverted from their path to begin lunging at the structure, bringing it down in moments.

Ruby opened fire immediately, covering the fleeing militia as best she could. It didn't matter, most were either too injured or just stunned from the sudden collapse. She felt her stomach twist nauseatingly as an alpha Beowulf sank it's jaws into the form of a man desperately trying to crawl away. Blood splattered across the area as the creature shook the man like Zwei might do to a chew toy.

She wanted to close her eyes, pretend like she didn't just watch someone get used like a dog's plaything. She would have done so, had she not caught the flicker of movement at the edge of her scope.

Someone was still alive. Somehow spared injury from the initial fall, the figure desperately began stumbling over debri in an attempt to escape the knightmare he found himself within. The Grimm were quick to follow, drawn by the terror and hungry for flesh.

 _Focus on what you can do, ignore what you can't._ A simple lesson, taught to Hunter's from the very beginning.

She pulled the trigger again and again, forcing herself to cover the fleeing survivor. Ignoring the distant screams of the injured and dying. Ignoring the moisture that threatened to obscure her vision. She ignored what she couldn't change and focused on what she could.

That didn't stop the single treacherous thought form rooting itself firmly in her head.

 _I'm not strong enough_.

\\-/

It was such a beautiful night. The sky was clear, the fractured remains of the moon were shining, and the Grimm were absolutely ravenous. The man carelessly walking through the forest couldn't have asked for a better night. His Goddess must truly have been smiling upon him. The thought brought a smile to his face, a small giggle slipping from his lips.

"I will not disappoint you, my Goddess." He mumbled quietly under his breath while doing his best to stem his excitement. And how could he not be excited!? It wasn't everyday you were sent to look after a diety's very own child!

Well… perhaps it was every day. It couldn't be helped when one's Goddess had as many children as his did. That didn't matter though, because this child was special. Unique even among the varied shapes and sizes of it's kin. And this prodigal child's examination had been entrusted unto him!

He felt his joy beginning to bubble over once more but forced it down when movement caught his eye. There, in the distance. A bush rustling ever so slightly with a suspicious patch of something white in it.

"Oh ho? What's this now…?" His target was supposed to be dressed in all white, was this him? No. He wouldn't be hiding, he would be fighting his siblings. This had to be something else, and with the sounds of combat nearby it was easy to assume it was related.

His training held true as he stalked his way closer to the bushes in question, his stomach fluttering with excitement all the while. What could it be? One of his Goddesses children? Or maybe it was something soft and squishy to play with…? Oh how he hoped it was the second one.

Climbing into the trees for a better vantage point, he first noticed the masks on the crouched were the Whitefang doing here? Looking in the direction they were watching, a wide grin spread across his features once more.

"Found you~" He whispered with giddy excitement.

There it danced, amidst the horde of Grimm. It was not a graceful dance filled with slow, deliberate movements. It was one filled with heat and passion, the white knight desperately clawing at the horde in the vain hope of catching it's attention. The waves of darkness crashed ever forward, heedless of the knight's protests, pushing past it's smaller sibling without pause.

The scene was so beautifully tragic it almost brought a tear to his eyes. Oh how he wished he could rush in and help the child learn it's lesson. Teach the child that it needn't attack it's siblings. Show it the true enemies were in the very town it was so desperate to protect.

But he had his orders, to gain information, and he would **not** disappoint his Goddess. She wanted to learn about her wayward child, so he would learn for her. He would be able to teach her something, he would be of service! The thought was enough for his mirth to overtake him momentarily.

Perhaps the Whitefang would help him? They were helping Cinder with her plans already, why wouldn't they help him? Of course they would, he was a servant to the Queen of Grimm and Goddess of all. No mortal had the right to refuse Salem's will.

They would either help or they would die, so simple even a child would understand.

\\-/

The assault had been going on for four hours already. Or had it only been two? Maybe five…? Weiss' brow furrowed, how long had it been since this madness began? Once the Grimm had begun showing up in force, every moment seemed to just blend together. She supposed it didn't really matter, if she could still fight that's what she would do.

For the moment however, she would do her best to get the most out of the break given to her after Ruby joined the melee.

She made her way past the sandbags and guardsmen that acted as a final line of defense. The crowd of civilians was noticeably smaller as Weiss made her way through, though the remaining people looked half as agitated and twice as fearful. Faces downcast, the only audible noise being the sound of not-so-distant gunfire.

She knew she was supposed to feel bad for the people she passed, feel some sort of sympathy for the hardships they were being forced to endure. But she could barely feel anything over the overwhelming exhaustion that weighed upon her.

The constant fighting surrounded by non-stop gunfire was making each movement a slog, each step a chore. Maybe the pounding in her head would settle some if she closed her eyes? Not for long, she just needed a minute to rest.

Closing her eyes only seemed to exaggerate the problem, her body immediately finding a wall to lean on. She wouldn't let sleep take her. She just needed… a… a min-...

" _Do you think you have earned the right to rest yet?"_

Her eyes snapped open as she jerked forward suddenly, heart pounding in her ears. It took her a second to realize the voice was just a memory and recompose herself.

She wanted to ignore the words and pretend the cruel man who spoke them was wrong. She wanted to but found that she couldn't actually disagree with the meaning behind them. Schnee or not, she was still a huntress. And there was still work to be done. How could she rest when people's lives were on the line? She needed to quickly find something to eat and get back to helping her team.

Stifling a yawn, Weiss made her way to a building at the edge of the evacuation-area that had been converted to suit the militia's needs. Without the manpower needed to defend multiple locations the militia had been forced to use the single building as a makeshift hospital, ammo storage and ration distribution center.

Walking into the building, Weiss found herself surprised at how well it had been organized in so little time. To the left she saw makeshift walls made from tarps in order to keep the medical area separate from the rest. On the right was a small kiosk settup with a pair of militiamen handing out meal replacements. The last area was at the back behind a guarded door with a symbol for ammo plastered on it.

She was going to head to the kiosk immediately so she could hurry back to her team but the noise coming from the medical area gave her pause. The sound of doctors and nurses trying to communicate was barely audible over the combined noise of their patients. Everything from shrill shrieks of pain to the lowest mumblings were present. All in an area no bigger than a classroom.

Those sounds, they reminded her of the battlefield she had just left. So many out there were crying out in pain, amidst the rubble of their shattered towers. Any semblance of training forgotten as pure survival instinct took over. They would try to get away, try to scramble forward with broken bones and torn flesh. Enduring any amount of pain if it meant escaping the death that crept ever closer.

Sometimes they would get away. Her and Yang would arrive in the knick of time, or a nearby tower would notice and offer cover. Sometimes. But not often.

Gods, how she hated those sounds. How she wished she could stop them. Wished she could escape them.

 _And yet your own father creates those very sounds in every one of his mines. You would turn your back on your family's legacy? Pretend it never happened? Oh how those faunus must feel being forgotten so easily._

No! she wasn't forgetting about anyone nor was she turning her back on anything. She had bigger problems to deal with, she had a horde of Grimm to fight.

 _Is that why you ran off to Beacon? Because you had "Bigger problems to deal with"?_

With a curse to her own thoughts, she turned from the kiosk and made her way to the source of the noise. Upon entering the area she resisted the urge to cover her nose at the smell. It wasn't the worst thing she had smelt but it was obvious the militia was working with limited resources.

What was she doing here? The extent of her medical training was to put pressure on bleeding wounds and not to fall asleep if you might be concussed. What did she think she could accomplish here that the professionals weren't already doing?

She was about to turn to leave when she noticed someone. An older man, his hair just beginning to grey, laying on his back and reaching unsteadily towards the roof. He was mumbling something and with the nurses already occupied with others Weiss approached him. Maybe he just needed something simple like water and if not, she could always help get the doctor's attention.

As she got closer she took note of the several bloody bandages wrapped around his torso, doing very little overall to stem the bleeding. Her first instinct was to call a doctor, as the man's wounds looked to be worsening. But when she looked over she found they were already performing operations and were too busy to come over.

"Please…" Her attention was drawn back by the man's voice, a weak thing but still just barely audible over his rasping breath. "I just… need to hear it…" His hand was reaching towards her though his eyes seemed to stare straight through her. "Just tell me... That we beat them… Tell me she's alive…"

"Tell me my little girl is safe."

Weiss felt her heart wrench at the sight of the man's face twisting in terror. "They can't reach her… They'll kill her…" She grabbed his outreached hand, desperate to ease some of the pain she was being shown. "Please… She's all I have left… Tell me…" his grip began to weaken.

It felt like something broke inside her. Never had she lied before just to spare someone's feelings. She thought of it as a foolish thing to do, something that only encouraged ignorance in those you wished to protect.

She still believed that and even felt the urge to deny the man's wishes. She wanted to tell him she had no way of knowing. She wanted to say if he wanted to see his little girl safe then he would have to get up and do it himself.

She wanted to say these things but found the words dieing in her throat. With his grip so weak and his eyes beginning to glaze over, she gave his hand a squeeze.

"She's just fine." Weiss began, forcing her voice steady even when her expression failed to do so. "You and your comrades bought the town enough time. She evacuated with everyone else…" She found it difficult to continue speaking as she felt her throat tighten.

"...You can rest now… She's safe." She had to look away from the eyes that stared blankly through her. Unseeing and lifeless, they contrasted heavily with the soft, content smile on the man's lips.

She was up in a second and out of the medi-area in a handful more, a new urgency guiding her steps forward. With barely a word she grabbed a meal replacement and headed for the door.

It was impossible for her to know who the man's "little girl" was. Maybe she had passed them once or twice since arriving in town but there was no way to know for sure. At the end of the day it didn't matter. She had told him the town was safe.

And Weiss Schnee would not be made a liar.

\\-/

"So I take it you have some questions?" Qrow broke the silence that had descended within the bullhead and glanced sideways to his only passenger. Gregory, for the most part, looked to be deep in thought with just a hint of his regular scowl present. Understandable considering the scene they had just left behind.

Jaune had, for lack of a better term, snapped. But it was... different than how James had described it. The way Qrow understood it Jaune should have been much more focused on the two closest humans, or even the town itself. The boy's savagery could only be compared to that of the Grimm themselves and yet he did not once turn to attack the humans at his back.

"That kid." Gregory spoke at last, pulling Qrow from his thoughts. "He's got one of _those_ semblances, doesn't he? The kind any military would kill to have, right?" He wasn't asking who the kid was or what he could do? Strange, Qrow would have thought those would be the better questions. Maybe he already guessed the information would be classified?

"Jaune's abilities set him apart from his teammate's, this is true." Qrow responded, choosing his words very carefully. " It's also true that should any Military on Remnant learn of his abilities, they would not hesitate to do whatever they could to secure such power. I aim to prevent that." He looked to see if Gregory understood and found the Merc nodding along easily enough.

"I think I get it. Basically you'd rather he be a Huntsman killing Grimm than a soldier killing people." Qrow didn't respond, choosing to let Gregory come to his own conclusions. It wasn't like those conclusions were necessarily wrong, they just weren't the whole truth.

"I assume that means you'll be wanting the recording from my cameras." He said while already reaching for his scroll, surprising Qrow when he simply handed the valuable device over. At the older Huntsman's confused look Gregory shrugged and explained "I got nothing of real value on it. It was always meant to be disposable."

"Still, you've shown Jaune and I nothing but hostility. I'm not criticizing, I understand being uneasy around newcomers, but why be so cooperative now?" His attitude from early on had been annoying sure but at least it was understandable. Call it paranoia but Qrow learned to not accept favors without knowing why the person was willing to give said favors.

"You saved this town. Because of you I don't have to go through the trouble of finding a new place that accepts outsiders. I'm just returning the favor, don't think too hard on it." Qrow wasn't sure he fully believed that but didn't push the subject. There wouldn't have been enough time to make a copy during the fighting, the scroll should be the only evidence of Jaune's true nature.

The remainder of the trip was spent in silence, Qrow busying himself with piloting while Gregory worked on sharpening his knife. It wasn't until the town was in sight that the silence was broken.

"That's a lot more fallen towers then I expected, are you sure the militia is still standing?." Gregory asked while placing a nervous hand on his pistol.

"Worried you gave up your scroll too soon?" Qrow couldn't help but tease with a smirk. "I wouldn't. I helped trained my nieces myself and, from what I've seen, the Schnee girl is about the same level as them. They would have called me if the town had fallen."

"See?" He spoke again as the center of town became visible, showing a group of Militia holding off a dwindling pack of Grimm alongside a colorful trio of Huntresses. "No signs of combat inside the Evac-area, looks like all the civilians got out okay." Was it strange that he felt pride swell in his chest? He didn't think so. The Militia would have failed if it wasn't for the nieces he had personally trained. How could he be anything but proud of them?

"You know, you look like an old man when you stare all wistfully into the distance like that."

"Is it physically impossible for you to not be an asshole for like, five minutes?"

"Fuck off."

"Ya, you're right. That was a stupid question. Of course it's impossible."

The Bullheaded landed a few minutes later and Qrow made his way towards the few remaining Militia, approaching the leader. "I take it the mission was a success?" He said to get the person's attention.

"Yes, sir." Came the professional reply. "Zero civilian casualties, just like you had predicted." They seemed to relax some when Qrow didn't adopt any kind of military stance. "I must say, you Hunters are something else. Never thought I'd see a teenager beat an Ursa to death with their fists."

He wanted to laugh and agree Yang was a terrifying brawler, but he kept himself from being distracted. "How many Militia casualties?" He needed to know the price of their victory. He needed to know if he could even consider it a victory. No, he wouldn't think that way. The civilians all escaped, asking for more would just be greedy.

"twenty percent are confirmed deceased while ten remain in critical condition. Thirty percent were injured but will recover, totalling sixty percent casualties." Qrow nodded but winced internally. Could the town survive with only forty to seventy percent of their defenses? Maybe, but all it would take is some bandits to notice the lax in security for the town to fall.

"You and your men are free to use my bullhead to retreat. I'll send word within the week when the town is safe." and in that time hopefully he could get in touch with some Hunters to help make up for the losses.

"Sir." The person gave a salute and turned to issue the command to the remaining militia. While the soldiers were filling into the bullhead a familiar trio approached Qrow, each with their own set of dark bags under their eyes.

"It's such a beautiful morning, isn't it?" He said with a smile, earning a collective groan for his sarcasm.

"How?!" Weiss was the first to speak, or shout as it were. "How can you look the exact same after four hours of fighting?!"

He chuckled and shrugged "I'm just naturally this beautiful, don't be too jealous."

"Or maybe it's because your scruffy ass always looks like it just went through the dryer."

"Oh? I think a certain blonde haired niece of mine is forgetting just how accessible her shampoos are. What do you think Rube's? Feel like helping your uncle get revenge?" He turned to Ruby, ignoring the yelp from Yang.

"Can't right now…" The little Rose mumbled with unsteady feet and closed eyes. "Brain is too tired to brain at the moment… Please try again later."

Qrow chuckled and made to respond but was interrupted by the trumpeting of a Goliath in the distance. The high pitched noise was followed by a low guttural roar a moment later.

"Shouldn't the Grimm have calmed down with the civilians gone?" Weiss commented while looking in the direction of the sound. Didn't that sound close to where Jaune had been left at? That didn't make sense, Qrow had seen Grimm blatantly ignoring Jaune. How could he be enraging them now?

"Hey Qrow?" Ruby interrupted his thoughts, her eyes open now and scanning the surroundings. "Where's Jaune?" She asked, pinning Qrow with a suspicious look in her eye. Why did it seem like a good idea to leave Jaune on his own again?

He pulled free Gregory's scroll before answering and opened the video-feed of Jaune. The hybrid was facing off against an adult Goliath, completely encircled by smaller Grimm and unarmed. Looking ready to meet the beast head on.

Oh right, that's why he left him alone. Because he couldn't keep up with that brat's wholly different level of insanity.

It was a strange sight, one that Qrow had never seen before and wasn't quite sure what to make of it. If the Grimm weren't going to attack him then why was the Goliath standing in his way? And if they were going to attack why were the surrounding Grimm simply watching? Why was the Goliath stomping it's feet and trumpetting instead of just charging? And why was Jaune following suit with his own warcry?

Were they challenging each other?

"Why do you look confused? What's happening?" Before he could react Ruby used her semblance to snatch the scroll from him. "What the-? Why is Jaune fighting a Goliath by himself?!" She exclaimed in shock. Her wide, innocent eyes narrowingly dangerously a moment later at Qrow. "Uncle Qrow…?"

"To be fair, I tried to tell him to retreat but he wouldn't listen. Even after I told him the town was safe he just kept on swinging." Well, it was less swinging and more lashing out like a madman. But he doubted his niece would appreciate the comparison.

Ruby looked ready to argue further but Yang stopped her with a hand gentle on her shoulder. "Relax Rube's, he's going to be fine. He can handle it, you know what he's like." She tried to reason. "He's different than us, stronger than us. I doubt any Grimm could really hurt him."

Ruby didn't meet her eyes, choosing to instead look downwards with a deep frown. "I wonder…" She began with a mumble. "I wonder if they thought the same thing about mom." Yang's eyes widened slightly as she took a step back, caught off guard by the change in topic.

Qrow took that as his opportunity to step between the sisters, hoping to prevent an argument from starting. "Ruby, I don't think that's a fair comparison. You're mother wa-"

"Was stronger than even you!" The young Rose blurted out with her clenched hands trembling slightly. "I remember hearing you and dad talk about her. About how she was a prodigy, top of her class with a perfect combat record. I heard how she was special, the only one who could do what she could..."

No one could interrupt as a tear splashed against the earth. "She was different, and she still died." She quickly wiped her arm across her face and looked up with red but focused eyes. "Helping someone in need is the right thing to do. It doesn't matter if they're stronger or not."

She didn't wait for a response, instead zipping off in a blur of rose petals before anyone could try to stop her.

"Ruby wait!" Yang tried to give chase but was stopped by Qrow's grip on her shoulder.

"Yang, stop. You won't be able to catch her." The blonde brawler was stronger but no one could beat the little Rose when it came to speed.

"We can't just leave her!" She continued pulling against his grip but the older Huntsman held firm.

"I'm not going to. But you're in no condition to be wandering a Grimm infested forest. Find somewhere safe to get some rest. I'll go bring Ruby back."

"What about Jaune?" Weiss spoke up before Qrow could leave. "She might have overreacted but Ruby wasn't wrong. Jaune shouldn't be left to fight on his own."

Qrow hesitated to answer. Not because he particularly disliked the boy, he actually thought of the kid as incredibly honest if a bit naive. But Jaune had already ignored him once for whatever reason. If the same thing happened again, Ruby's safety would take priority and the hybrid would be left to the horde once more.

"I'll do my best."

\~/

 **Tried to push a bit further with developing team RASY and each member. I'm also confident most people will know who the "mysterious man" Is despite me not using his name. Sorry for the wait on this one, I've got no real excuse. Just been feeling tired lately. unfortunately I doubt my timing will get any better but at least the length is increasing right? I hope that helps some. As always I would love to hear what anyone thinks of how things are progressing and I hope you all enjoy your Morning/Evening.**

 **SomberFlight, I believe their's been a bit of a misunderstanding because of my poor explanation. I realize that most fully armored soldiers only had to hold something like thirty to fifty pounds (or fiteen to twenty five KG) spread around their body and retainted the ability to run, jump and otherwise move freely. I was not trying to insinuate that Jaune should not have been able to run. I was trying to make it sound like Jaune dispatch that Grimm like Qrow or Ruby might have, which usually has more flips and spins. While i think you could move relatively freely in armor I also believe it would restrict movement to a large enough degree that flipping through the air like we see the Hunters often do would not be feasible in full armor. It's kind of my headcanon as to why I never saw full armored people in the show but maybe i didn't get far enough. Side note; after rereading that section you were talking about I notice i also made some grammatical errors. Sorry and thanks for not ripping me open for that.**

 **IROCK108, Glad you enjoyed it! The encouragement really helps to keep my going even when feeling tired so thank ya kindly!**


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